Our garden boundary, what are my rights? 7 July 2022 at 3:06PM in In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving 73 replies 9.5K views

Bendy_House

Yes, have a friendly chat about it and other neighbourly things - whilst knowing your actual rights

Worst case scenario - if they turn out to be unpleasant, entitled folk - is a solid board fence, tight against the border.

The clunk as they try to open their windows beyond a crack could get annoying, tho'.

Norman_Castle

Brie said:

Norman_Castle said:

Stand in your garden staring through the glass then let them solve the problem.

Stand, naked, in your garden staring through the glass then let them solve the problem.

Hopefully they'll solve the problem, although they might say "Yipee, we thought we were the only naturists around here".

Woolsery

It's an eyesore and a bit of a lost cause IMO for any sort of gardening treatment. While you might not have to, it would be best to let the neighbour maintain their windows and guttering in a clean condition and that means treading in the area. For me, it's a great place for a bin store, fenced up to  the height of the access gate. Your choice but I'd use hit & miss fencing painted forest green.

I'd then get rid of that silly little ramp and relocate the access to the rest of the garden, allowing me to put a border there and grow whatever I fancy against the bin store fence. After all, fences aren't very pretty either.

Soot2006

Brie said:

Norman_Castle said:

Stand in your garden staring through the glass then let them solve the problem.

Stand, naked, in your garden staring through the glass then let them solve the problem.

Wearing a clown mask.

TELLIT01

markin said:

Wooden trough and Bamboo! But its a bad sign that they open the windows.

I agree that troughs with bamboo would solve the problem.  I wouldn't take opening the windows as a sign either good or bad.  If that porch also has a glazed roof it will get extremely hot and that is the most likely reason for opening the window.  Our porch gets the sun all morning and we open the window on all but the coldest days because it heats up so much.

I'm guessing the porch has been there many years so it's highly unlikely that the council would be able to force changes to it now.

Bendy_House

Absolutely, TELLIT01.

If the opening windows present no issue - no noises or smells or whatevs coming out - then plant screening, or whatever the Op wishes to have, is fine.

If it is an issue, or - worse - deliberately becomes one after the OP has explained to their neighb what they wish to do, then the answer is a solid board fence, tight against the border. End of.

jvjack

Have never stared at a picture for so long. And had it blown up. 
Neighbour will sureley undertand and probly wondering what it is and how it became etc.
Presume that is a door that can be seen through frosted windows thet lets them into porch?
Builder must have removed the barrier that was originally there,
How will they clean outside of windows. It is bizarre. 

Bendy_House

jvjack said:

Have never stared at a picture for so long. And had it blown up. 
Neighbour will sureley undertand and probly wondering what it is and how it became etc.
Presume that is a door that can be seen through frosted windows thet lets them into porch?
Builder must have removed the barrier that was originally there,
How will they clean outside of windows. It is bizarre. 

The new neighs will hopefully be as you say. The previous neighb, tho', the one who had it built, clearly had different standards.

Having said that, the OP has explained that both sets of previous owners were elderly, could have been close friends, or simply not bothered about trivial issues such as privacy or having an attractive, sitting-out, garden!

Regardless, the OP has clear rights, so can surely decide on how THEY wish to screen this eyesore. For that is what it is.

If the neighb takes umbrage, that is entirely their choice and of their making. It should have zero consequences.

jvjack

Ah i see.  Maybe it was only way to catch the sun , south facing and friends being friends said ok .
Edit . Rethinking. No they wouldnt have frosted windows if it was to capture sun.
Edit 2 Although maybe frosted windows let in sun.Dont know.

Section62

jvjack said:

Ah i see.  Maybe it was only way to catch the sun , south facing and friends being friends said ok .
Edit . Rethinking. No they wouldnt have frosted windows if it was to capture sun.
Edit 2 Although maybe frosted windows let in sun.Dont know.

I think they have probably done it that way simply because a wall made out of prefabricated plastic and glass is one of the cheapest and quickest ways to build, and looks like a porch.

Simple foundations, dwarf wall, plastic and glass plus two doors and the job is done.

I don't think it is any more complicated than that.