Air conditioning unit on side of neighbour's house - best approach?

AdrianC

metron said:

RelievedSheff said:

I think you have bigger problems here then your neighbours installing air con/heat pump.

I suppose that depends on your particular view of what's 'normal', how sympathetic a person you are, and what you're used to in your area.

We live in a pleasant village, where people consider their neighbours, where visual appearance matters a lot to people, and where people ordinarily comply with the planning laws designed to protect people from unsightly additions.  By and large developments and additions have been sympathetic to the village, because most people are from the general area and don't want to damage the environment that they value. Occasionally somebody moves here from London, where different rules apply, talk about how nice the area is, and then start trying to 'Londonify' it with huge metal gates, floodlights and things like air conditioning units. It never goes down well, and our visitors (and the seller of the house, who still lives here) are horrified at the monstrosity that's been stuck high up on a very visible wall.

Unfortunately, I think you've just proved @RelievedSheff to be fairly close to the mark...

This is clearly about far more than just the aircon unit. That's just a symptom.

You don't like the new neighbours, and you don't think they're the "right kind of people"... This is as much about what you perceive them as representing as anything personal.

By all means, report them to the planning enforcement team. Then, when the retrospective planning app goes in, object to it.

However, I don't think that's going to resolve the actual cause of the issue here, merely reinforce it. Especially when the app is approved, which is almost inevitable.

I repeat - is there any chance of a pic of the actual unit in situ?

metron

sammyjammy said:

Is this house opposite you or next to you?  Either way it can't both be a potential for noise and ruin your view from most windows.  Live and let live, I ma sure your wife will get used to it, if not sell up and move, as someone else said these things are likely to become more common place.

It's next door, and it's both unsightly from most windows and a potential for noise problems.

As for these things becoming more common place, maybe, but planning permission is required, and that will normally require them to be placed out of sight where possible - as it is here.

RelievedSheff

That approach is almost certainly going to lead to confrontation!!

RelievedSheff

metron said:

sammyjammy said:

Is this house opposite you or next to you?  Either way it can't both be a potential for noise and ruin your view from most windows.  Live and let live, I ma sure your wife will get used to it, if not sell up and move, as someone else said these things are likely to become more common place.

It's next door, and it's both unsightly from most windows and a potential for noise problems.

As for these things becoming more common place, maybe, but planning permission is required, and that will normally require them to be placed out of sight where possible - as it is here.

If I was your neighbour I would be kindly asking you to refrain from looking at my property so much!

metron

AdrianC said:

metron said:

RelievedSheff said:

I think you have bigger problems here then your neighbours installing air con/heat pump.

I suppose that depends on your particular view of what's 'normal', how sympathetic a person you are, and what you're used to in your area.

We live in a pleasant village, where people consider their neighbours, where visual appearance matters a lot to people, and where people ordinarily comply with the planning laws designed to protect people from unsightly additions.  By and large developments and additions have been sympathetic to the village, because most people are from the general area and don't want to damage the environment that they value. Occasionally somebody moves here from London, where different rules apply, talk about how nice the area is, and then start trying to 'Londonify' it with huge metal gates, floodlights and things like air conditioning units. It never goes down well, and our visitors (and the seller of the house, who still lives here) are horrified at the monstrosity that's been stuck high up on a very visible wall.

Unfortunately, I think you've just proved @RelievedSheff to be fairly close to the mark...

This is clearly about far more than just the aircon unit. That's just a symptom.

You don't like the new neighbours, and you don't think they're the "right kind of people"... This is as much about what you perceive them as representing as anything personal.

By all means, report them to the planning enforcement team. Then, when the retrospective planning app goes in, object to it.

However, I don't think that's going to resolve the actual cause of the issue here, merely reinforce it. Especially when the app is approved, which is almost inevitable.

I repeat - is there any chance of a pic of the actual unit in situ?

You're reading far too much into that. We get on very well with the neighbours, and they aren't the ones with the huge metal gates!  I'm not sure what you mean by the 'right kind of people' but that's not the issue - the issue is the failure to observe planning regulations and the thoughtless siting of the unit.  The unit looks very much like one of the units on the earlier picture, by the way.

metron

RelievedSheff said:

metron said:

sammyjammy said:

Is this house opposite you or next to you?  Either way it can't both be a potential for noise and ruin your view from most windows.  Live and let live, I ma sure your wife will get used to it, if not sell up and move, as someone else said these things are likely to become more common place.

It's next door, and it's both unsightly from most windows and a potential for noise problems.

As for these things becoming more common place, maybe, but planning permission is required, and that will normally require them to be placed out of sight where possible - as it is here.

If I was your neighbour I would be kindly asking you to refrain from looking at my property so much!

Difficult to avoid, given that our windows look straight onto it!

metron

RelievedSheff said:

That approach is almost certainly going to lead to confrontation!!

Hopefully not - we do get on just fine, and I think the matter can be approached reasonably. There won't be the slightest hint of any 'threats' to talk to the planners, but I hope the point will be taken, and that a resiting of the unit will be seen as a sensible move.

RelievedSheff

metron said:

AdrianC said:

metron said:

RelievedSheff said:

I think you have bigger problems here then your neighbours installing air con/heat pump.

I suppose that depends on your particular view of what's 'normal', how sympathetic a person you are, and what you're used to in your area.

We live in a pleasant village, where people consider their neighbours, where visual appearance matters a lot to people, and where people ordinarily comply with the planning laws designed to protect people from unsightly additions.  By and large developments and additions have been sympathetic to the village, because most people are from the general area and don't want to damage the environment that they value. Occasionally somebody moves here from London, where different rules apply, talk about how nice the area is, and then start trying to 'Londonify' it with huge metal gates, floodlights and things like air conditioning units. It never goes down well, and our visitors (and the seller of the house, who still lives here) are horrified at the monstrosity that's been stuck high up on a very visible wall.

Unfortunately, I think you've just proved @RelievedSheff to be fairly close to the mark...

This is clearly about far more than just the aircon unit. That's just a symptom.

You don't like the new neighbours, and you don't think they're the "right kind of people"... This is as much about what you perceive them as representing as anything personal.

By all means, report them to the planning enforcement team. Then, when the retrospective planning app goes in, object to it.

However, I don't think that's going to resolve the actual cause of the issue here, merely reinforce it. Especially when the app is approved, which is almost inevitable.

I repeat - is there any chance of a pic of the actual unit in situ?

You're reading far too much into that. We get on very well with the neighbours, and they aren't the ones with the huge metal gates!  I'm not sure what you mean by the 'right kind of people' but that's not the issue - the issue is the failure to observe planning regulations and the thoughtless siting of the unit.  The unit looks very much like one of the units on the earlier picture, by the way.

You clearly don't get on with them that well when you have had to come and whinge to a load of strangers rather then going to talk to the neighbours in person.

RelievedSheff

metron said:

RelievedSheff said:

That approach is almost certainly going to lead to confrontation!!

Hopefully not - we do get on just fine, and I think the matter can be approached reasonably. There won't be the slightest hint of any 'threats' to talk to the planners, but I hope the point will be taken, and that a resiting of the unit will be seen as a sensible move.

Equally the neighbours might just choose to ignore you and leave the unit exactly where it is.

It is after all their property and nothing to do with you in the slightest.

AdrianC

metron said:

AdrianC said:

metron said:

RelievedSheff said:

I think you have bigger problems here then your neighbours installing air con/heat pump.

I suppose that depends on your particular view of what's 'normal', how sympathetic a person you are, and what you're used to in your area.

We live in a pleasant village, where people consider their neighbours, where visual appearance matters a lot to people, and where people ordinarily comply with the planning laws designed to protect people from unsightly additions.  By and large developments and additions have been sympathetic to the village, because most people are from the general area and don't want to damage the environment that they value. Occasionally somebody moves here from London, where different rules apply, talk about how nice the area is, and then start trying to 'Londonify' it with huge metal gates, floodlights and things like air conditioning units. It never goes down well, and our visitors (and the seller of the house, who still lives here) are horrified at the monstrosity that's been stuck high up on a very visible wall.

Unfortunately, I think you've just proved @RelievedSheff to be fairly close to the mark...

This is clearly about far more than just the aircon unit. That's just a symptom.

You don't like the new neighbours, and you don't think they're the "right kind of people"... This is as much about what you perceive them as representing as anything personal.

By all means, report them to the planning enforcement team. Then, when the retrospective planning app goes in, object to it.

However, I don't think that's going to resolve the actual cause of the issue here, merely reinforce it. Especially when the app is approved, which is almost inevitable.

I repeat - is there any chance of a pic of the actual unit in situ?

You're reading far too much into that. We get on very well with the neighbours

But not, it seems, well enough to actually raise the issue with them.

and they aren't the ones with the huge metal gates!

Then the gates etc are a total and utter non sequitur, irrelevant to the aircon.

I'm not sure what you mean by the 'right kind of people'

You may need to re-read your text I quoted, then, because that's absolutely the impression I took from your post.

but that's not the issue

So, again, irrelevant.

the issue is the failure to observe planning regulations

Report it to the planning enforcement team, and hope they ask for a retrospective application, on which you can submit your objection.

and the thoughtless siting of the unit.

That's for the planners to decide, not you.

The unit looks very much like one of the units on the earlier picture, by the way.

Yes, I know what the external portion of an aircon looks like... I was hoping to see it in context.