Window looking onto neighbour

jacky daniels

Can someone tell me without going overly tech what the rules are re windows looking onto neighbours boundary.
Its just a nieghbour at my brothers house has built an 'exempt' extension to the rear of his house. No issues, its not causing any problem. Now he has decided to break out a window in the side of it, looking towards brother on ground floor. The extension is 1.8m from the boundary fence and the window is about 1.5m x 1.2m.
This to me doesnt look right for one thing but can someone go through the various rules re doing this. I remember there is a fire safety rule re windows and fire spread to neighbours which I thought was 3m but I cant be sure.
Also, Im thinking the exemption from planning must have something about windows in it also.
Any help appreciated.

Edit: ALso, while Im here, these are old council built houses in the late 70s, mostly privately owned now. I cant seem to find anything on the planning system for the entire estate only the odd extension etc. Did the council operate a different system back then?

kkelliher

jacky daniels wrote: »

Can someone tell me without going overly tech what the rules are re windows looking onto neighbours boundary.
Its just a nieghbour at my brothers house has built an 'exempt' extension to the rear of his house. No issues, its not causing any problem. Now he has decided to break out a window in the side of it, looking towards brother on ground floor. The extension is 1.8m from the boundary fence and the window is about 1.5m x 1.2m.
This to me doesnt look right for one thing but can someone go through the various rules re doing this. I remember there is a fire safety rule re windows and fire spread to neighbours which I thought was 3m but I cant be sure.
Also, Im thinking the exemption from planning must have something about windows in it also.
Any help appreciated.

Edit: ALso, while Im here, these are old council built houses in the late 70s, mostly privately owned now. I cant seem to find anything on the planning system for the entire estate only the odd extension etc. Did the council operate a different system back then?

Schedule 2 part six of the regs are as follows

6. (a) Any window proposed at ground level in any such extension shall not be less than 1 metre from the boundary it faces.

(b) Any window proposed above ground level in any such extension shall not be less than 11 metres from the boundary it faces.

(c) Where the house is detached and the floor area of the extension above ground level exceeds 12 square metres, any window proposed at above ground level shall not be less than 11 metres from the boundary it faces.

archtech

Council housing schemes don't normally go through the regular planning process do finding info on them will be difficult.

As for fire generally once a window or door is at least 1 m from the site boundary it is acceptable in terms of fire .

Location of that window appears to be acceptable.

jacky daniels

I had something in my head about 3m from boundary? Seems I was way out. It still doesnt sit right with me that a window looking straight at a neighbour could be exempt given that its only a few feet away. I would have thought that such a proposal would be refused planning if it was required, never mind being exempt - It would seem that the exemption is overly broad if that is the case.

runawaybishop

jacky daniels wrote: »

I had something in my head about 3m from boundary? Seems I was way out. It still doesnt sit right with me that a window looking straight at a neighbour could be exempt given that its only a few feet away. I would have thought that such a proposal would be refused planning if it was required, never mind being exempt - It would seem that the exemption is overly broad if that is the case.

Plant a hedge or extend the wall.

jacky daniels

runawaybishop wrote: »

Plant a hedge or extend the wall.

Thats kinda my thinking. I thought it would be the developer who would have to do works such as this to ensure that his works are acceptable. Its not great if its our side that has to now do the work to regain alittle privacy

runawaybishop

jacky daniels wrote: »

Thats kinda my thinking. I thought it would be the developer who would have to do works such as this to ensure that his works are acceptable. Its not great if its our side that has to now do the work to regain alittle privacy

Agreed, but you dont have a lot of choice unless your neighbour chips in our of goodness. Sounds like he has complied fully.

martinn123

You could ask neighbour to use obscure glass in window.
So if he is just looking for light, and privacy is retained

jacky daniels

On a somewhat related note, What standards did people build houses to in the late 70s for example? The earliest regulations I can find is 1990?