Should I inform the neighbours??

irish bloke

Hi All,

New here and this is my first thread.:)

Background:
I currently have a 5 ft high fence running along the side of my house (back garden).
The fence is about 100 ft long and is the back wall to about 5 house gardens.
All these house gardens are about 5 ft lower then the level of my back garden.

Problem:
Issue I have is that I have no privacy. I can see all there top windows and they can see me..:(
What I would like to do is put hedging up in my garden to about 9ft, this would give me privicy.

Unfortunately this will block out some of there sun.

I want privacy but dont want to fall out with the whole block either.
Should I tell them, should I just go ahead and plant it, should i not plant it, What should I do?

Thanks in advance...

Bullseye1

How deep is your garden. Could you plant back from the fence in order to give you privacy and limit shadowing onto your neighbours.

irish bloke

thanks for the reply,

I would have the room to do that for about 90% of the fence.
It is an idea but I would hate to loose some of my garden too.

I would be willing to tell them first but could run the risk of one or more saying they dont want me to do it, then what do i do!

On the otherhand If I say nothing and go ahead and just plant it, the hedge will be lower then the fence when planted and gradually grow over time. This might not be such a blow to them...

Carlow52

Get a balaclava if you are that paranoid:D

Do you really think that folk are going to be orsed sitting up in their top rooms looking at you.

They have no right to light by the way

How far from the wall to the back of the 5 houses?

what way does you garden run? ie does it face North

paddy147

Carlow52 wrote: »

Get a balaclava if you are that paranoid:D

Do you really think that folk are going to be orsed sitting up in their top rooms looking at you.

Theres all sorts of weirdos out there,pervs too.

So you never know.

paddy147

Hedging to 9 feet height will take a good few years to grow to that height and it will also have to be some thickness too,if its to be 9 feet high.

Imagine trying to maintain and keep it cut now.:eek:

Extend the height of your existing wooden boundary fence to 2 meters high.

You can do this with regards to planning laws and boundary walls in a back garden (max of 2 meters in height from ground level).

But idealy you need to consult/talk with your immediate neighbour before you just go at it.

irish bloke

Carlow52 wrote: »

Get a balaclava if you are that paranoid:D
ha ha....

Pretty sure it faces east. Sun come up at my back fence and travels around my right hand back fence (not the one with the 5 houses) and sets at the front of the house.

That would make there gardens face South I reckon.

The fence is about 30ft away from the 5 houses and is about 10 ft high for them (my garden being 5 ft higher

irish bloke

paddy147 wrote: »

Hedging to 9 feet height will take a good few years to grow to that height and it will also have to be some thickness too,if its to be 9 feet high.

Imagine trying to maintain and keep it cut now.:eek:

Extend the height of your existing wooden boundary fence to 2 meters high.

You can do this with regards to planning laws and boundary walls in a back garden (max of 2 meters in height from ground level).

But idealy you need to consult/talk with your immediate neighbour before you just go at it.

To extend the fence to 2 m would require me pulling up all the H posts and cementing them back in for another 1.5 ft approx lift. This would take some considerable effort and prob cost a bomb, also I would gain nothing from it as I would still see them.

paddy147

irish bloke wrote: »

To extend the fence to 2 m would require me pulling up all the H posts and cementing them back in for another 1.5 ft approx lift. This would take some considerable effort and prob cost a bomb, also I would gain nothing from it as I would still see them.

Move house then,or else get ued to the fact that your house is 5 feet higher than anyone elses.You bought the house knowing this situation so you are stuck with it.

Expect protests and complaints from neighbours for complete blockage of light as they will have a 14 foot high wall of blockage from their side.14 foot high is very high indeed,too high in fact.

If it were me,Id be bashing down your front door demanding that you cut the hedge back down to decent/accpetable size.

The neighbours can have you in the courts for matters like this.

So be warned.

irish bloke

lets be honest, im not going to move house over this, now am I.....:rolleyes:

How can they have me court over this?? I thought if it grows in my garden i can grow what i like??

Carlow 52 has suggested they have no right to light!!!

Its not my fault my house is higher then theres.... they also bought there house knowing theres was 5 ft lower then mine!!!!

galwegians

irish bloke wrote: »

lets be honest, im not going to move house over this, now am I.....:rolleyes:

How can they have me court over this?? I thought if it grows in my garden i can grow what i like??

Carlow 52 has suggested they have no right to light!!!

Its not my fault my house is higher then theres.... they also bought there house knowing theres was 5 ft lower then mine!!!!

stick in a line of leylandi trees they will take about 5yrs to grow anyway,
by then they will have got used to them, go ahead and dont be asking permission to put anything on your own property, best of luck to you,

irish bloke

galwegians wrote: »

stick in a line of leylandi trees they will take about 5yrs to grow anyway,
by then they will have got used to them, go ahead and dont be asking permission to put anything on your own property, best of luck to you,

Thanks galwegians for the positive reply. I will probably end up doing exactly that...

Cheers....

galwegians

irish bloke wrote: »

Thanks galwegians for the positive reply. I will probably end up doing exactly that...

Cheers....

your wecome pal, done the same thing myself at the front of my house, planted 42 leylandi trees two and half foot back from fence, and two and a half foot apart, 5yrs ago and they are seven and a half foot tall know, great privacy.
good luck,

galwegians

welcome to boards.ie by the way.

magicbastarder

the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.
i keep hearing (in a 'i heard that...' way) that leylandii planting is restricted in some manner, though the source is never sure quite how, but that it's to prevent situations like this. i suspect they are referring to a law which does exist in england governing the planting.

how many people sit in their bedrooms staring into their neighbours back gardens? most housing estates i've been in allow you to see into your neighbour's back garden from the upstairs windows. you just happen to be in a relatively unusual position where you can block them out.

yes, they knew they had a 10 foot 'fence', as you say. that does not imply they expected a 14 foot one.
plus, will you be able to trim the back of the leylandii that overhang their gardens? they will have a difficult task doing so, and you will have doubly pissed off neighbours if the leylandi end up overhanging their gardens by a few feet.

at the very least, plant birch which will let dappled light through (during the summer, when you will be using the garden most) but which will effectively block any 'spying'. and it will let more light through in the winter, when the sun is low and the blocking effect of the leylandii would be otherwise much more pronounced.

RAH1

get blinds

irish bloke

magicbastarder wrote: »

the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.
i keep hearing (in a 'i heard that...' way) that leylandii planting is restricted in some manner, though the source is never sure quite how, but that it's to prevent situations like this.

how many people sit in their bedrooms staring into their neighbours back gardens? most housing estates i've been in allow you to see into your neighbour's back garden from the upstairs windows. you just happen to be in a relatively unusual position where you can block them out.

yes, they knew they had a 10 foot 'fence', as you say. that does not imply they expected a 14 foot one.
plus, will you be able to trim the back of the leylandii that overhang their gardens? they will have a difficult task doing so, and you will have doubly pissed off neighbours if the leylandi end up overhanging their gardens by a few feet.

at the very least, plant birch which will let dappled light through (during the summer, when you will be using the garden most) but which will effectively block any 'spying'.

I see your point too or else I wouldn't be on here asking for opinions and advice and go way and plant a forest.
I also have a security disadvantage. I have 6.6 ft gates at the side of my house meeting my 5 ft fence at 90 degrees, anyone that way inkind could jump the fence without any great hassle.

paddy147

irish bloke wrote: »

lets be honest, im not going to move house over this, now am I.....:rolleyes:

How can they have me court over this?? I thought if it grows in my garden i can grow what i like??

Carlow 52 has suggested they have no right to light!!!

Its not my fault my house is higher then theres.... they also bought there house knowing theres was 5 ft lower then mine!!!!

Your neighbours have rights too,with regards their line of sight and angle of light and shadow on their property from anything you would put up or errect.Also any structure,man made or natural that protrudes into their property or obstructs their property can be a case of legal action.

They can easily have you in court over this matter or start legal proccedings against you for the above matters.

RAH1

actually do put in the trees because me and a friend of mine used to spend evenings in college looking out our upstairs back windows trying to figure out what the neighbour got up to.some craic making observations on them.two young fellas used to play the play station in a house out the back and they would nearly always end up fighting.

irish bloke

galwegians wrote: »

welcome to boards.ie by the way.

cheers...:)

irish bloke

paddy147 wrote: »

Your neighbours have rights too,with regards their line of sight and angle of light and shadow on their property from anything you would put up or errect.Also any structure,man made or natural that protrudes into their property or obstructs their property can be a case of legal action.

They can easily have you in court over this matter or start legal proccedings against you for the above matters.

Anyone I have spoken to would disagree with what you are saying. Yes if my tree/hedge grows over the line of there property they are entitled to chop it back to there line, but not the top on my property.
I even rang the council abt hedging and they said there is no issue with me growing this.

Are you 100% sure about me blocking there light with hedges being a case for legal action???? If so I can ring the council.

irish bloke

RAH1 wrote: »

actually do put in the trees because me and a friend of mine used to spend evenings in college looking out our upstairs back windows trying to figure out what the neighbour got up to.some craic making observations on them.two young fellas used to play the play station in a house out the back and they would nearly always end up fighting.

Was that you who used to spy on us???:D

RAH1

irish bloke wrote: »

Was that you who used to spy on us???:D

ya.you would want to change the paint in the kitchen.not great.i seen ya messing with your sister in law aswell.bad man.haha

irish bloke

RAH1 wrote: »

ya.you would want to change the paint in the kitchen.not great.i seen ya messing with your sister in law aswell.bad man.haha

naughty!!!!;)

Sonnenblumen

OP you can build any structure up to 2.0m, higher would be subject to planning. Frequently these heights are exceeded without going the planning route.

You can plant what you like, where you like on your own property. If some whinger comes knocking on your door, well you'd know what to do there.

Ideally it would be better to do with neighbours on side but you're under no obligation to consult. Right to light/sun is rubbish so don't let anyone bully you.

If someone came banging on my door, I'd know what to do.

paddy147

Sonnenblumen wrote: »

OP you can build any structure up to 2.0m, higher would be subject to planning. Frequently these heights are exceeded without going the planning route.

You can plant what you like, where you like on your own property. If some whinger comes knocking on your door, well you'd know what to do there.

Ideally it would be better to do with neighbours on side but you're under no obligation to consult. Right to light/sun is rubbish so don't let anyone bully you.

If someone came banging on my door, I'd know what to do.

You really need to study the European/EU laws and rights of a person before making any more comments.:rolleyes:

irish bloke

Sonnenblumen wrote: »

OP you can build any structure up to 2.0m, higher would be subject to planning. Frequently these heights are exceeded without going the planning route.

You can plant what you like, where you like on your own property. If some whinger comes knocking on your door, well you'd know what to do there.

Ideally it would be better to do with neighbours on side but you're under no obligation to consult. Right to light/sun is rubbish so don't let anyone bully you.

If someone came banging on my door, I'd know what to do.

Thats what I thought, Thanks also for the advice. I think i will just go ahead and plant them and deal with the door knocking if it comes then.

I will try plant them a few feet back to mitigate against the trees growing into there back garden as magicbastarder pointed out.

irish bloke

paddy147 wrote: »

You really need to study the European/EU laws and rights of a person before making any more comments.:rolleyes:

I'll not dismiss anyone comments as im no legal expert but do you have more details on this, extract etc would be great!!

cheers...

Carlow52

paddy147 wrote: »

Your neighbours have rights too,with regards their line of sight and angle of light and shadow on their property from anything you would put up or erect. Also any structure,man made or natural that protrudes into their property or obstructs their property can be a case of legal action.

They can easily have you in court over this matter or start legal proceedings against you for the above matters.

Paddy147

We need to distinguish clearly here between 3 things
1: building works
2: shrubs
3: encroachment of 1 or 2 into some one else's property

1 is a planning issue and not an issue in this post
2 is not a planning issue
3 not allowed

Cant agree with this angle of/ right of light bit for shrubs: the overhanging bits yes but not stuff in his garden.

They have a right to light in UK but not here, the LA's have used guidelines called the Littlefair guidelines but again for buildings and not shrubs/trees: page 10 here shows the idea
http://www.charnwood.gov.uk/files/documents/house_extensions/house_extensions.pdf

The shading issue has become more of an issue now with solar gains being in the regs but at 30 feet away from the houses....

Again the link shows the 45 degree rule also


The one concern I have here is that with the gardens 5 feet lower, the 2m rule has been applied by DLRDCOCO from the lower side:)

In addition big roots could damage the walls: the birch trees don't have the same impact

Finally re this comment

Originally Posted by paddy147 View Post
You really need to study the European/EU laws and rights of a person before making any more comments.

It, IMO, behooves all of us to provide links/precedents examples to support these sorts of statements.

Misty Midlands

Go ahead and plant the trees, it's your garden and you deserve privacy. Good luck!

magicbastarder

i know what i'd think if someone planted trees like that unnecessarily and blocked my light. and i'd be right.

this thread is depressing.