But I thought folks more likely to know than on legal.
A neighbour across the road from me came and told me last night he wanted to put an extension on the side of his bungalow and would I object. I was surprised he came. But I guess hes been reading the book that says tell your neighbours before they find out in the local planning apps?
I was led to believe it would be a one storey jobby - an extra room, and I said I didn't mind as I really didn't have real grounds to complain. It will block out a countryside view I currently have from my bedroom windows ( but no one can complain about loss of view I believe?)
Anyway, a couple of hours later - out on the boarder of my garden quietly potting, I heard him discussing said extension with a builder who lives in the same lane as I do ( they were obviously taking a quiet walk up the lane out of most earshot's in the village or across the valley - you can hear a whisper a mile away in our village)
In this conversation it transpired that this one room is actually a three storey extension on the side of the bungalow - its to go into the roof and form a large dormer and the foundations ( its being built on a slope as the land drops on the side) are to include a basement room. This will turn the two bed bungalow into a five bed, two bath house effectively and the extension will increase the size of the house by at least another fifty per cent .
I also heard them discussing a further extension for later on - so this is phase one of a large scale building plan! But the plonker didnt tell me this. I assume he thinks I will not be looking at the building plans when they go planning permission since he told me he was building...... but now I will be looking.
It also means that what I thought would be an inconspicuous one room extension is going to be a bloody great tower over the road from me, totally blocking any conceivable view and the rooms will overlook my bedrooms and impinge on my privacy in the front garden. This he did not make clear when he spoke to me and I would not have known had I not eavesdropped ( well I was in my garden - not my fault they had a confab outside in the lane is it?)
Now, having said I would not put in an objection - can I change my mind? The bloke is not likely to go much on my putting in an objection and wont be best pleased. Could my letter be considered a neighbour dispute if I want to sell?
I realise my grounds for objection are not good - loss of some privacy and overlook my bedrooms from about 100 yards away but we live in an AONB and a conservation area and its a bl**dy big extension three storeys and a blot on the valley landscape. Also all the other buildings are single storey - mostly bungalows spread out across the road into the village, he will be visible for some distance with the tower on the end of his home.
Could I at least ask for it to be screened fully from my view and the road at the front and thus protect my privacy, without being considered a p*ssy neighbour and ending up with a dispute on my hands?
Anyone any experience of such?
TIA