Neighbour building a brick house/building in their back garden

Kimi

Kimi

Kimi

Soldato
Joined
25 Feb 2009
Posts
3,605
My sister is renting my house off me, and i went round last night to see what needed to be done as im looking to sell it.

Anyway, there was a really nice lady living to the left when i was living there, she has since sold up and moved out. Ive never met the new people but when i looked in my garden, i saw they have started building a full on brick structure with windows in the back of their garden, the roof isn't on yet but already the top of the door is higher than my fence, which is a good 6ft. Im not sure what its going to be, but looks like either a cinema/gym/office kind of size.

Im not sure what the rules regarding building on your own land are, but this thing looks like its going to be quite large and also over looking my house.

Im not usually one to complain but i feel this could be a problem for me selling my house. My sister says they never mentioned building it to her and just started putting it up, looks like its about 1-2 weeks into the build. Are you supposed to get planning permission to do this sort of thing? I don't really want to complain if i have no right either.
 
Would be strange for them to have a new structure overlooking your garden without permission.

Contact planning now before it is finished :)
 
Ill get on the phone to them and see what they say

Here is a pic from last year before i redone the grass. Basicly the house on the left, all that grass, will no longer be grass.



I will get some pics tonight of whats going up
 
Last edited:
Doesn't need planning if:

- No outbuilding on land forward of a wall forming the principal elevation.
- Outbuildings and garages to be single storey with maximum eaves height of 2.5 metres and maximum overall height of four metres with a dual pitched roof or three metres for any other roof.
- Maximum height of 2.5 metres in the case of a building, enclosure or container within two metres of a boundary of the curtilage of the dwellinghouse.
- No verandas, balconies or raised platforms.
- No more than half the area of land around the "original house"* would be covered by additions or other buildings.
- In National Parks, the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and World Heritage Sites the maximum area to be covered by buildings, enclosures, containers and pools more than 20 metres from house to be limited to 10 square metres.
- On designated land buildings, enclosures, containers and pools at the side of properties will require planning permission.
- Within the curtilage of listed buildings any outbuilding will require planning permission.

So basically if its within 2m of a boundary fence and more than 2.5m to the roof pitch it DOES need planning permission.
 
Last edited:
Lt Red is spot on, looked into this last year before I annoyed a neighbour by putting up a big shed. Turned out I was well within my rights to put up a big shed :p
 
Surely the grass area just on the other side of his fence is within the curtilage of his property.

The term immediate might be a sticking point, but I think it's too close. Suppose it depends whether the finished product will be bigger than 2.5m.
 
It could be they obtained planning permission and your sister didn't send you the letters, tenants do that, mine phoned me up yesterday to ask me to replace the washing machine that's the 3rd in 3 years I told her I wasn't she was taking the mickey and she better by her own or move out.
 
When I built my Log cabin which is less than 2.5m in height to the ridge, I was advised by the planning office to seek planning permission because it was within 2m of the boundary fence. This was despite it replacing a shed of the same size in the same place!

From your photos I would suggest that if he is building up to the fence he will need PP. If you have not received the letter that does not mean to say he has not applied and been accepted. Basically if you receive permission approval you have 3 years (I think) to build it or you have to re-apply.

If you go to your local council website, you can search planning applications and their condition by postcode. Slap in your postcode and see if they have applied and the status. If there's nothing there contact your planning office and mention that they might be building a permitted development within 2m of the boundary and they will be on them like a hawk...
 
Last edited:
maccapacca said:
It could be they obtained planning permission and your sister didn't send you the letters, tenants do that, mine phoned me up yesterday to ask me to replace the washing machine that's the 3rd in 3 years I told her I wasn't she was taking the mickey and she better by her own or move out.
Click to expand...

Great landlord you are :rolleyes: white goods are your responsibility, stop buying cheap washing machines and you won't have this problem
 
MrMoonX said:
Great landlord you are :rolleyes: white goods are your responsibility, stop buying cheap washing machines and you won't have this problem
Click to expand...

Even cheap ones used sensibly will last more than a year, I had a tenant do similar, even n=knackered a Bosch I got for her:rolleyes:
 
I've agreed that instead of a rent increase she now supplies the washing machine, 3 in 3 years is ridiculous we had the same Beko machine for 7 years, I think she's using it commercially doing peoples washing so I'm sticking by my guns.

I could get £100 PM more now but am very aware that if she says no and moves out to make up for even one month empty would take a year to make up the difference and she's a good tenant i.e. I never hear from her and the rent is in every month on time.
 
Lt_Red said:
When I built my Log cabin which is less than 2.5m in height to the ridge, I was advised by the planning office to seek planning permission because it was within 2m of the boundary fence. This was despite it replacing a shed of the same size in the same place!

From your photos I would suggest that if he is building up to the fence he will need PP. If you have not received the letter that does not mean to say he has not applied and been accepted. Basically if you receive permission approval you have 3 years (I think) to build it or you have to re-apply.

If you go to your local council website, you can search planning applications and their condition by postcode. Slap in your postcode and see if they have applied and the status. If there's nothing there contact your planning office and mention that they might be building a permitted development within 2m of the boundary and they will be on them like a hawk...
Click to expand...

Interesting, i put my postcode in and cant find anything from his house, a lot of people have built little brick porches at the front of their houses and they all come up, windows etc as well. Im going to get on the phone to the planning department tomorrow morning and see what they say,
 
maccapacca said:
I've agreed that instead of a rent increase she now supplies the washing machine, 3 in 3 years is ridiculous we had the same Beko machine for 7 years, I think she's using it commercially doing peoples washing so I'm sticking by my guns.

I could get £100 PM more now but am very aware that if she says no and moves out to make up for even one month empty would take a year to make up the difference and she's a good tenant i.e. I never hear from her and the rent is in every month on time.
Click to expand...

Surely they would be under warranty? Cant you just get them replaced?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom