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

Monsternextdoor

I was hoping that 'londonify' ment that they turned the roads in and out into the m25 at rush hour.

Monsternextdoor

Maybe bojo will be around on his bike too ?

GarretC

sheramber said:

You say that most of your windows look directly at your neighbour's house?

Are all the windows on the one side of the house?

I am really struggling with this as well. The houses are side by side, and therefore, it surely isn't visible unless from a side window. Which wall is the unit on? Side or rear?

But I've lived in detached houses, and usually the only view from a side window is the patch of wall across. To have a field of vision large enough that the AC unit is visible from most windows, the houses must be quite far apart. Which begs the questions of why this is such a big issue.

Or maybe the AC unit is at the back, and they have a conservatory with a glass roof meaning they can see it from there?

Martian2035

and the thoughtless siting of the unit.

I would very strongly suspect that your neighbours put a lot more thought into the siting than you have.

They will have considered the unique requirements and attributes of the unit and property to select the most practical and efficient placement, maybe even the only possible placement.

You simply looked at it and thought "I don't like it".

Suggesting it's thoughtless looks arrogant, ignorant, and self-important.

the issue is the failure to observe planning regulations

In which case I assume that if they apply for retrospective permission and it is granted, you'll be very happy to support your neighbour and their AC unit?

No threats, just surprise that we haven't yet been asked by the planning authority for comment

I would not word it like that. Saying you're "surprised" you haven't been asked about it sounds very passive aggressive.

Because we would of course be suggesting that it should be placed at ground level to avoid its being quite so visible

Has it not already been established that these units can't operate at ground level? Do you not think this would have been considered if it was possible? Again, this just looks arrogant and ignorant.

metron

Some interesting comments (thanks) and the insults which inevitably flow on all threads. Thanks for those too - made us all laugh!

One little tip for a couple of you - not all detached houses are the same.  In villages they tend to be very different, not placed neatly in rows, not with windows neatly arranged just at the front and the back - windows can be on any wall.  Houses can be at any angle too.

The plain fact here is that an aircon unit has been put in place without an application for the necessary planning permission, which would have involved a consultation process with neighbours and a consideration of the siting of the unit.

Even for air source heat pumps, which a lot of these units are claimed to be by sellers keen to flog them to people who believe their spiel that no planning permission is needed, the following rules apply.  Claims that air conditioning units don't need planning permission are bogus, but a lot of people believe the sales pitch and don't bother to apply.  If the planning authority gets involved, retrospectively if necessary, they look at all sorts of factors - including minimising the visual effect, which here would mean resiting it at ground level.

Cheers!!!

From 1 December 2011 the installation of an air source heat pump on domestic premises is considered to be permitted development, not needing an application for planning permission, provided ALL the limits and conditions listed below are met.

These permitted development rights apply to the installation, alteration or replacement of an air source heat pump on a house or block of flats, or within the curtilage (garden or grounds) of a house or block of flats, including on a building within that curtilage. A block of flats must consist wholly of flats (e.g. should not also contain commercial premises).

Limits to be met:

Development is permitted only if the air source heat pump installation complies with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme Planning Standards (MCS 020) or equivalent standards. Read more about the scheme

The volume of the air source heat pump’s outdoor compressor unit (including housing) must not exceed 0.6 cubic metres

Only the first installation of an air source heat pump would be permitted development, and only if there is no existing wind turbine on a building or within the curtilage of that property. Additional wind turbines or air source heat pumps at the same property requires an application for planning permission

All parts of the air source heat pump must be at least one metre from the property boundary

Installations on pitched roofs are not permitted development. If installed on a flat roof all parts of the air source heat pump must be at least one metre from the external edge of that roof

Permitted development rights do not apply for installations within the curtilage of a Listed Building or within a site designated as a Scheduled Monument

On land within a Conservation Area or World Heritage Site the air source heat pump must not be installed on a wall or roof which fronts a highway or be nearer to any highway which bounds the property than any part of the building

On land that is not within a Conservation Area or World Heritage Site, the air source heat pump must not be installed on a wall if that wall fronts a highway and any part of that wall is above the level of the ground storey.

In addition, the following conditions must also be met. The air source heat pump must be:

Used solely for heating purposes

Removed as soon as reasonably practicable when it is no longer needed for microgeneration

Sited, so far as is practicable, to minimise its effect on the external appearance of the building and its effect on the amenity of the area.

You may wish to discuss with the Local Planning Authority for your area whether all of these limits and conditions will be met.

Rdwill

Have we actually seen a photo of the actual unit yet?

Did I read 6 pages and miss it?

Monsternextdoor

What if all this has been met and they apply for retrospective planning and get it. 

What if your neighbour reads this and uses this thread as evidence if you do object.

user1977

Hugh_Jarce said:

lookstraightahead said:

I was feeling for the op before they started taking about "Londonifying" things. What on Earth does that even mean 😂

"occasionally someone moves here from London"

🥴🥴

Crack dens, knife crime, high rise buildings, high cost of a pint, defunct water cannons and garden bridge plans.

Changing the name of everything into rhyming slang.

Monsternextdoor

Rdwill said:

Have we actually seen a photo of the actual unit yet?

Did I read 6 pages and miss it?

Nah, nothing yet. 

I'm expecting something that's as bright as Katie Price's teeth.

Doc_N

Love these threads, but I have to wonder why anyone bothers to start them, knowing the almost inevitable outcome.

Back to the point for once though - and trying to apply some logic to help the OP -

Which would be cheaper for the errant neighbour?  Moving the unit to ground level, presumably out of sight?  Or making a planning application (not cheap) and facing all the problems the guy in the blog faced? I’d hazard a guess that the first would be cheaper.

Having said that, what you don’t want is a dispute that has to be declared on a house sale. Referring the matter to the planners, perhaps anonymously, wouldn’t do that, because the dispute would be between errant neighbour and planners. A long drawn out dispute with the neighbours would though. Avoid that at all costs.

Just a few random thoughts.