Log cabin

Avatar123

I know of someone who has put in a 2 bed stand alone log cabin in their back garden of housing estate, the width being from one boundary wall to the other, approx 1 ft from boundary fence and it's being lived in. No planning permission sought. 3 windows looking directly into adjoining garden, one is the toilet. Tapped into sewage and electric. Looks higher than 4m, the thing is massive. Completely obstructing privacy of surrounding neighbours but they went ahead with it anyway!

Paulw

Have you reported it to the local authority planning/enforcement dept?

Homer

They probably knew they needed planning permission and thought nobody would say anything. If everybody did what they wanted it would be a mess. If it's a direct neighbour and is impacting on your view or lifestyle with additional traffic/noise etc then I personally would report it.

Avatar123

Paulw wrote: »

Have you reported it to the local authority planning/enforcement dept?

Really don't know if it's been reported, can't see why it wouldn't be.

Paulw

Avatar123 wrote: »

Really don't know if it's been reported, can't see why it wouldn't be.

Might be a case that everyone assumes that someone else will do it and in the end, no one reports it. :rolleyes:

Then again, if everyone reports it, then it will be acted on quicker.

Gumbo

Paulw wrote: »

Might be a case that everyone assumes that someone else will do it and in the end, no one reports it. :rolleyes:

Then again, if everyone reports it, then it will be acted on quicker.

Won't make a difference if one person or 100 people report it.
Planning Enforcement send a Section 154 letter giving the home owner 4 weeks to reply.

So the 4 weeks start on the date that the original complaint comes in and aledged works letter goes out.

Avatar123

kceire wrote: »

Won't make a difference if one person or 100 people report it.
Planning Enforcement send a Section 154 letter giving the home owner 4 weeks to reply.

So the 4 weeks start on the date that the original complaint comes in and aledged works letter goes out.

What happens if the homeowner ignores the letter?

Gumbo

Avatar123 wrote: »

What happens if the homeowner ignores the letter?

Site inspection without notice.
Usually the 4 weeks allows the home owner to contact the Plan Enf section to arrange the site inspection with mutual consent.

Failing that, letter to state that they will be there on a specific day and time with court order to get in.

Cape Clear

Anyone know how much one of these cabins costs to buy and install. Dose whatever happens in someone else's back yard really concern their neighbours?

Paulw

Cape Clear wrote: »

Dose whatever happens in someone else's back yard really concern their neighbours?

Planning laws are there for a reason, so yes, it does concern neighbours.

Cape Clear

Paulw wrote: »

Planning laws are there for a reason, so yes, it does concern neighbours.

Only the nosey ones

SteM

Cape Clear wrote: »

Anyone know how much one of these cabins costs to buy and install. Dose whatever happens in someone else's back yard really concern their neighbours?

Did you read the OP? 3 windows looking directly into the adjoining garden, that would concern me if I lived beside it for sure.

Gumbo

SteM wrote: »

Did you read the OP? 3 windows looking directly into the adjoining garden, that would concern me if I lived beside it for sure.

The 3 windows are irrelevant. They would be planning exempt if it was a garden room, study, office, gym or shed etc

Just the use is not permitted.

Avatar123

kceire wrote: »

The 3 windows are irrelevant. They would be planning exempt if it was a garden room, study, office, gym or shed etc

Just the use is not permitted.

The windows have to be at least 3 foot away from the boundary fence.

SteM

kceire wrote: »

The 3 windows are irrelevant. They would be planning exempt if it was a garden room, study, office, gym or shed etc

Just the use is not permitted.

I'm not talking about planning permission, Cape Clear says 'Dose whatever happens in someone else's back yard really concern their neighbours?'.

In this scenario yes it would concern me, the fact that someone has built and is living in a cabin that has windows overlooking my back garden where there were none before would concern me a lot.

Cape Clear

SteM wrote: »

I'm not talking about planning permission, Cape Clear says 'Dose whatever happens in someone else's back yard really concern their neighbours?'.

In this scenario yes it would concern me, the fact that someone has built and is living in a cabin that has windows overlooking my back garden where there were none before would concern me a lot.

Not clear that this is even in the OP's housing estate not to mind over looking their back garden.

Pkiernan

Cape Clear wrote: »

Anyone know how much one of these cabins costs to buy and install. Dose whatever happens in someone else's back yard really concern their neighbours?

I like to set up a business burning tyres to recover steel wire . I'd like to do it next door to you please.

Avatar123

Cape Clear wrote: »

Not clear that this is even in the OP's housing estate not to mind over looking their back garden.

That's irrelevant but I can assure you it's real. Bedroom and toilet overlooking adjoining property. It's a concern alright.

the_syco

Avatar123 wrote: »

Bedroom and toilet overlooking adjoining property.

Build a wooden wall directly in front of said bedroom window. There is no right to light.

Kaiser84

Cape Clear wrote: »

Anyone know how much one of these cabins costs to buy and install. Dose whatever happens in someone else's back yard really concern their neighbours?

No, I don't know how much one costs. How much did it cost you?

I couldn't give a hoot what my neighbours do in their garden. But if they started to invade my privacy, I definitely would care and act.

Gumbo

Avatar123 wrote: »

The windows have to be at least 3 foot away from the boundary fence.

No they don't. The 1m (not 3 foot) exemption applies to habitable extensions to the main dwelling. Nothing in the regulations restrict window positions and distance from boundaries in garden rooms, sheds, garden gyms etc

Many people falsely believe the 1m rule applies to sheds also but it doesn't. Also many people done put the windows in out of respect to their neighbours but this is common courtesy rather than a requirement.

Avatar123

kceire wrote: »

Many people falsely believe the 1m rule applies to sheds also but it doesn't. .

It's not a shed though, it's a 2 bedroom house being lived in.

Gumbo

Avatar123 wrote: »

It's not a shed though, it's a 2 bedroom house being lived in.

That's beside the point.
If the use ceased to be used tomorrow, they can keep the windows looking into next door assuming it's a garden room then and obviously subject to the exemption criteria for sheds/garden rooms etc

We all know they won't get planning for the use so officially this can only ever be a garden room/shed/gym/home office (they all come under the same class).

Cape Clear

Avatar123 wrote: »

That's irrelevant but I can assure you it's real. Bedroom and toilet overlooking adjoining property. It's a concern alright.

It's completely relevant my darling nimby. Is it really any concern of yours what happens in other people's back gardens?

the_syco

Cape Clear wrote: »

Is it really any concern of yours what happens in other people's back gardens?

Are you referring to the peoples whose back yard the windows look onto?

April 73

Cape Clear wrote: »

It's completely relevant my darling nimby. Is it really any concern of yours what happens in other people's back gardens?

If there is an impact on neighbours then, yes it is a concern.

Let me give you an example - man builds 50sqm double-height steel shed in his garden in a housing estate & starts running a used car sales business from the structure. Constant noise from repairs being done. Cars parked on the road and on the street corner obstructing visibility at the junction. People calling all day & night viewing cars. All this did impact on neighbours.

The local authority did act on complaints about an unauthorised structure. It took two years for it all to reach a conclusion & to be removed. Business is still running but on a smaller scale at least. The guy running this always had/has the option to hire premises & run a legitimate business but chooses not to.