Help! No Privacy in our back garden

BlondePrincess

Hi there,

Apologies if this isn't the best board for this, but I'm looking for any advice please :)

My partner and I bought our first house last June, 21.

Our house is one of a row of new builds, in an existing established housing estate. Ours is the end of row house, the end nearest the main path / road through the estate. We were so happy to finally be able to buy, that we didn't pay proper heed to an esb large green box directly outside the side wall of our back garden.

Nor did we think about the local children / teens playing football on the road outside our wall.

Anyway, almost daily we have a knock on the door to throw out the football, which is frustrating, but we're accepting as part of estate living, so can deal with that.

However, the kids (some as young as 7/8) are climbing on the esb box. Our wall is 6 foot high, so once they're on the box, they can climb directly onto our garden wall. Some even sit facing into our garden and they can see directly into our double back doors into our kitchen. It's extremely frustrating. We have politely told them to get down, that it's dangerous etc, but they're not deterred. We're not living here long enough to know the parents or where they live and don't want to make a huge deal, but it's getting to a stage where we need to do something.

I called esb and they said an inspector will come out and may put a cage around it, but does anyone know if the kids will be able to still climb on this?

I told the esb that one of the kids got stuck down the back of the box (between the box and our wall) and they said they'll review but won't be able to move it.

Also, we are going to be planting hedges (griselinia), but it'll take a year or two to get to the height we want for privacy. In the meantime, do you have any suggestions for other ways to create height to the insode of our wall and stop the kids being able to sit on our wall and stare into our kitchen?

To add, aside from the lack of privacy, our dog is going mad every time they're on the wall, which is causing unnecessary stress.

Sorry for the long post, but we're open to any suggestions or advice from anyone who has had similar issues and how you dealt with it.

Thank you 😊

connected1

You could paint the top of your wall with non drying paint, aslo known as anti-climbing or anti-vandal paint.

You have to put up a sign saying it's there, to use it legally.

BlondePrincess

Thank you for your advice! I found that months ago on google but wasn't sure if I was legally allowed use it, so I might look at that and get a sign, as you suggested. Thanks again:)

Tiredandcranky

Put a low trellis along the top of the wall. Will stop them sitting on the wall and looking in anyway.

Tiredandcranky

Doop

You could buy some pleached trees for privacy, they are expensive but will provide instant privacy.

Another thing you could do is put a privacy film on your back doors so there is no way anyone can see in, but there is a slight loss of light. It could be used as a temporary measure and remove it later when the greenery has grown.

IMO the anti climb paint is very messy and unsightly as would a cage over the esb box.

TheWonderLlama

Get a beehive, locate it at the other side of the wall from the ESB box. Bonus free honey!

It would be a terrible shame if someone were to put something on top of the ESB box at night which would discourage people from climbing it.

HeidiHeidi

I grew pyracantha on my back wall in my previous house - it grew like absolute billy-o, and was a gorgeous plant - has the added bonus of having thorns.

Maybe grow something like that up and over your wall, you certainly wouldn't be climbing or sitting on it!

Gant21

Horse off the capping and fire up the mixer. Build up a few more courses of blocks.