Garden Summerhouse

Poppy9

I don't know whether this is in the right place but I'll ask anyway.

I live in a semi backing onto woodland. Our neighbours have today erected a garden summerhouse in their garden towards the rear. Not a problem you might think except its on stilts and has an open veranda which look directly into our house and garden. The biggest problem I feel though is that it looks into our 10 year old daughters bedroom.

Is this allowed?

My oh would talk to them about it but they are quite unreasonable people - what do other MSE's think?

Thanks

Anne_Marie_2

I certainly wouldn't be happy either with that happening. Does the situation affect any of your other neighbours. Suggest that you speak to any that it does affect and see if they are in agreement with you. In first instance check with local planning office/council to see if they should have asked for permission. I am not sure of legal requirements, but believe that planning permission has to be granted if buildings/erections over a certain height.
Not very long ago a family in Edinburgh had to haul down a playhouse erected on stilts, all the neighbours were complaining as the kids could see into all the adjoining gardens. Am sure someone will be along soon with the legal stuff.
Good luck!

Poppy9

I read about the one in Scotland. It was taken down because it was in a conservation area. The neighbours the other side are screened by high bushes and the back of the summer house faces them so not a problem for them. The funny thing is that our next door neighbours complained about the neighbours the other side new shed as it was an eyesore. They called planning out about it. It was just a bog standard wooden shed for storage with no windows facing their house and they could only see a small patch of it from their garden.

Our neighbours the other side are set forward from us so our garage provides screening from their garden. Saying that when we wanted to renew the potting shed attached to the rear of our garage as it was falling down we asked the neighbours who looked onto our garage if they minded if we converted it from potting shed to a storage room which meant removing a window and rendering to match the rest of garage. We knew it would look nicer for them but as it affected their view we wanted to give them the opportunity to air their thoughts before work started.

Ted_Hutchinson

From St Albans District Council - Living - Planning - Frequently Asked ... I would imagine most councils operate similar rules.

If you live in a house you will need planning permission if the shed/detached garage/summerhouse:

• Is nearer to the highway than the nearest part of the original house, unless there is at least 20 metres between the building and the highway.

• Together with additional buildings and extensions covers more than half the land around the original house.

• It is more than 3 metres high with a flat roof or 4 metres high with a pitched roof.

• Is within 5 metres of any part of the house.

Additional points

• If the new building will have a cubic volume over 10 cubic metres and will come within 5 metres of the house it will be treated as an extension.

Poppy9

It looks like this

~B&Q

just under 3 metres high.

It doesn't face their back garden its side on so looks into our garden and house.

Ted_Hutchinson

It doesn't look then as if you will have any grounds for a complaint to the council. The best you can probably do is ask if it could be repositioned. It's only supposed to be a kids playhouse so may not get a lot of use.

Poppy9

The funny thing is the kids are 10, 13 & 14. The older two are boys. Bit old for playhouses. The family are a bit weird (to say the least) and both us and the neighbours the other side have problems with their kids not only wandering into our gardens but even our houses. The 10 year old was found in child's bedroom casually playing with toys and couldn't see why she was being asked to leave! Garden toys go missing and get broken etc.

Ted_Hutchinson

Well if the kids party in it I suspect it won't last long.

But maybe it's just going to be a posh chicken house. The price isn't much more than an EGLU and it would be suitable for a whole flock of chickens. Run some wire netting round the legs and form a run and you have a perfect chicken house for a dozen birds.