At My Wits End!

[Zumbagirl]

I really need some advice. My next door neighbour has basically turned his garden into a shanty town with various outbuildings, pergola and other structures, all constructed from various materials. There is a wall between the 2 gardens which is my boundary wall....I have checked the deeds. My problem is that he has now constructed a raised flower bed about 2 feet high made from breeze blocks and filled it with about 2 feet of soil which is against my wall. His latest project..he has filled 3 areas of the beds and poured cement into them; the cement is against my wall. Into this cement he has sunk 8 foot posts and constructed a fence which is 8 foot high. It has completely blocked out light from my garden as the sun comes from this side, my kitchen is so dark until the sun moves round about midday. I have an extension and they dont so my extension wall forms a boundary with their patio. He has planted a bay tree and another tree right next to the corner of my extension and those trees are now at about 12-14 feet high so I'm worried about roots as they look out of control and are hanging over my extension roof. Going back to the fence structure, the posts and fence while not attached to my wall are right up tight against it. I don't want to have any conversation with them as we had words last year when he knocked down part of my wall without my permission for his own benefit. I feel like I'm barricaded in my Garden! It looks awful and im worried about my wall and also the potential problems with the tree roots. Any advice would be appreciated.

[murraymints]

he needs planning permission for anything over 2m ie 6 feet 6 inches.. contact council...

[redman41]

You need Legal Advice ASAP. Maybe NEW JUDGE can help if he is around to spot this

[murraymints]

you can cut back anything hanging over...

[donny48]

"you can cut back anything hanging over"
Is it time to get worried, XXOOXX

[murraymints]

lol..morning Donny XX..OO..XX..

[goodgoalie]

I think you should contact your local council planning department first thing on Tuesday. Take plenty of photographs, and see if you can actually go in and speak to someone as a matter of urgency.

[murraymints]

A neighbour of mine did this last place.. we were not on speaking terms because of a boundary dispute.I phoned...council sent inspector in from planning and the whole lot had to go !! result !!

[redman41]

Good advice, goodgoalie. Council should be notified

[Zumbagirl]

Thanks for the advice guys. I wish I could attach a photo so you could see this structure. I feel this is all being done to try and intimidate me, because they couldn't get their own way when they pulled down part of my boundary wall. Since then they have been evil. I got planning round last year and he was made to remove a cctv camera he had on a 15 foot pole and they told him to stop constructing things without permission but now he's done it again! We also have a 1m night wall between the two front gardens. I believe as it joins a footpath the permitted height is 1m. He has now put a trellis against the wall which He has attached awful green mesh to my side....its so ugly. I know you can attach a trellis to the top of a rear garden fence but is this permitted at the front. All the houses have the same 1m high walls so this really stands out and completely ruins the look of the houses. If it's permitted I may put an attractive trellis on my wall to hide his but im wary in case it's not permitted

[Zumbagirl]

Meant 1m high wall at front, not night wall

[murraymints]

planning dictates 1m to front and 2m to back of a property, phone planning as I said..don't even mention it to him , they will serve a compliance order on to take any structures without permission down within a time frame and if he does not, then the council will do it and bill him..don't waste any more time fretting..phone !!

[Zumbagirl]

@murraymints thank you I will ring first thing tues. Do you think planning are the ones to go to for the trees as well? I'm very concerned about potential damage caused by roots as the trees are huge!

[murraymints]

tree issues are shared between housing dept and environmental health depending on the issues... plump for housing... I have an issue with a neighbour and lleylandii trees and as she is a council tenant the housing dept is involved.

[murraymints]

it was a trellis style fence my neighbour put up in the front to around 7 feet and it had to go !!

[Zumbagirl]

@murraymints thanks for the info. We both own our properties so perhaps Id be better trying environmental?

[murraymints]

As a starting point yup...best of luck

[NoMercy]

I think the suggestion to contact the council is a good one. If your neighbour harasses you in any way, call the police.

[waterboatman]

I agree.

[Zumbagirl]

UPDATE
I contacted planning and they sent a lady put frim the Anti Social & Nuisance Team. She took some photos to show planning. She then contacted me to say she had shown planning and they said he is allowed it as the building is 2.5m high. I've had to contact her again to say it's not a building! It's a fence! It's very difficult to see from this side. A friend of a friend who works in planning in another town popped round to have a look and said absolutely its not allowed. She said he would need to apply for permission for this. Once he has done this, they will contact you to enquire if you have any objections which she will then help me with. So it looks like he won't be made to pull it down until my objection is accepted. In the meantime Ive still got to look out my window and feel I'm in a prison!