# Neighbour house planning



## Buddy1977 (15 Jul 2016)

I live in an estate, my house was not overlooked by any neighbouring properties.

The developer of my estate has started building again and has started building a house directly behind my house. One of the upstairs Windows is facing directly into my back garden and into my kitchen window. The house is approximately 1.5 from my garden wall and 10m from my kitchen window.

The issue I have is the site layout for the estate has changed. The new house they are currently building was not in the initial site layout when I purchased the house.

I was away for a couple of months and missed the new planning application.


Is there anything I can do at this stage?

Surely this is an invasion of privacy and should not have been granted planning?


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## emeralds (16 Jul 2016)

Have you checked with your local planning office to make sure that what is being built is as per the planning application? If it is, and it has got permission, then I don't think there is anything you can do.


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## Monbretia (16 Jul 2016)

Very little you can do if you didn't object when the planning was being granted.   I have similar, upstairs windows looking into my kitchen and two main bedrooms in the back (had to buy the dreaded net curtains and I hate them), I objected to the initial planning which was even worse and it was refused but like you I happened to miss the second notice being put up.   

I don't think planners give a monkeys about invasion of privacy and to be fair in most town estates all upstairs windows look into somebody's garden/windows as houses are close together, you were lucky that you were not overlooked at all before this.   There are I think distances that have to be maintained but they are obviously not that great.

Look into a good big tree that strategically placed will block out the view from the neighbouring window into the kitchen, this was the one I found most irritating, while I know my neighbours were not upstairs gazing over into my kitchen I always felt conscious of it when working in kitchen.   I also needed a new garden shed and got one made that was extra high and this has blocked out the overlooking into the kitchen which is great but the gap between my house and next door was a lot smaller than yours so the shed is basically up against my back garden wall which is only about 14 feet from my house.


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## Buddy1977 (16 Jul 2016)

Emeralds yes checked planning and it as per approval

Monbrieta I am conscious of the window already and there is nobody living there yet!!!

Anyone know what the minimum distances for overlooking windows are ?

If these don't meet requirements would I have a case?


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## Monbretia (16 Jul 2016)

I don't know but your overlooking one is an awful lot further away than mine and my neighbour got permission so I doubt it's as long as you would hope.

I actually downloaded an app this morning to measure distance so just checked my back wall from my bedroom window and it's 4.2m to wall and the house is a footpath width on the other side of the wall, now there are no windows in that side wall but the house is L shaped so the windows are in both sides of the L which is an average room width away from side of house so I would guess at most another 4m to the furthest away window, there is a side on window in the other part of the L which is closer again, probably no more than 2m from my back wall  but not directly looking at house but nevertheless you can see into my rooms and garden from that window.   I can clearly see their dressing table in there.


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## Buddy1977 (16 Jul 2016)

Off to garden centre for some trees it is so!

Thanks


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## Branz (16 Jul 2016)

Buddy1977 said:


> Anyone know what the minimum distances for overlooking windows are ?



If it has planning, then whatever the LA allows.
If it were an extension with no planning them there are rules which are not relevant here.
eg
[broken link removed]

In passing, don't plant the tree too close to the wall.

You could put a partly mirrored film on the window...


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## kceire (22 Jul 2016)

Depends on the site. opposing windows tend to be 22m apart.
Is the window that is overlooking you a habitable room? It may be a bathroom or a hall/landing window so will have minimal overlooking issues.


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