Privacy from overlooking window

bobbyss

A first floor window is overlooking my back garden from a gable of a house. We feel very overlooked and when we go out to the back garden everything we do can be seen etc. We feel uncomfortable about this. Trees etc are one solution but that takes a long time.

How about two flag poles across which stretches some kind of netting to block being overlooked? Something like what you see at the back of goals at GAA matches but not on that scale.

Would I need PP for that and could the neighbours object?

Has anyone tried any measures to maintain privacy without planting trees and that would be visually acceptable to people?

I love Sean nos

Do nets not normally have holes that can be looked through?

bobbyss

I love Sean nos wrote: »

Do nets not normally have holes that can be looked through?

Yes, that's true. I suppose what I would be looking for would be some kind of garden netting that could be strung across two poles. Ivy, for example, could be trained to grow up through it. Ivy being a fast grower and evergreen. Giving the appearance of a high wall but not invading on garden space and not unsightly.

cruizer101

Does the window face towards your property? How close is it to boundary?

I thought there was restrictions on first floor windows overlooking.

bobbyss

cruizer101 wrote: »

Does the window face towards your property? How close is it to boundary?

I thought there was restrictions on first floor windows overlooking.

Yes, it directly overlooks the entire rear of my house. It has been an issue with my council. The distance between the offending window and my back wall is approx no 5 metres or less.

I was basically told that the council can not do anything about this and that is why I am chiefly concerned now with ways to maintain my privacy without growing trees. I have given up hounding the council and my main focus is to take charge of the problem and do something about it immediately.

The netting idea between posts is one such way and I am wondering if there would be planning permission needed or problems along the way with this idea.

sydthebeat

was the window always there? or put in lately?

bobbyss

sydthebeat wrote:

was the window always there? or put in lately?

The window was always there.

As I said, my query (and only concern now) is about ways to block neighbours looking into my back garden. I have suggested poles with some kind of netting going across. Would I need planning permission for that?

Gumbo

bobbyss wrote: »

The window was always there.

As I said, my query (and only concern now) is about ways to block neighbours looking into my back garden. I have suggested poles with some kind of netting going across. Would I need planning permission for that?

Yes planning required.
What do the windows do in the offending house? Are they windows in a bedroom, bathroom or landing etc?

bobbyss

kceire wrote: »

Yes planning required.
What do the windows do in the offending house? Are they windows in a bedroom, bathroom or landing etc?

Thank you.
The window seems to be a kitchen/living area. Possibly an open plan area.
Are you sure you need PP? We were thinking of some kind of posts. Are there height restrictions on garden posts. These would stand approx 1.5 m above a six foot wall which would not be the same size as a standard flagpole.

Gumbo

bobbyss wrote: »

Thank you.
The window seems to be a kitchen/living area. Possibly an open plan area.
Are you sure you need PP? We were thinking of some kind of posts. Are there height restrictions on garden posts. These would stand approx 1.5 m above a six foot wall which would not be the same size as a standard flagpole.

Yes. Any structure over 2m in height requires planning, that includes flag poles, fences even solar arrays etc

Victorian House

Could you buy/build a tall planter bed and put some bamboo in it? That would grow quickly and has decent foliage coverage. They can grow over 4m. It would also look a lot nicer than flagpoles with netting.

Will23

This is pretty common, most semi-d's overlook the next door neighbours garden. From a planning perspective, privacy is maintained at a distance of 22m from first floor windows to habitable spaces.

If this is an existing condition why is it only an issue now?

I sorry if this is cold or unhelpful but i dint think there is an absolute right to privacy in a rear garden.

Surrounding youself with a two storey structure could be considered a nuisance to your other neighbours and would certainly require planning imo.

bobbyss

kceire wrote: »

Yes. Any structure over 2m in height requires planning, that includes flag poles, fences even solar arrays etc

I see.

I suppose think of the netting in a game of badminton with two poles either side. This placed at the end of our garden to block out the view our neighbour has of our garden and all windows.

That's what I am after.

My plan would be to have two or three poles, bamboo (or something thin but very strong) with some netting/screen along at more than 2 meters high which ivy could grow until trees grow in its place. The poles/bamboos/rods (or whatever I can find that is suitable) would be based in big plant containers weighed in by soil and rocks to make it stable. There would be nothing attached to the wall. It would be temporary, not permanent. The plant containers are movable though they would be heavy.

Would PP still be needed?

Thanks.

TheChizler

Would growing bamboo be an option?

bobbyss

TheChizler wrote: »

Would growing bamboo be an option?

Have thought about that. They are fast growers but have problems with spreading roots. I have in mind some planting but that really is not an issue.

The problem is that there are some trees there already (the wrong type unfortunately) that must come down and they are to be replaced by more appropriate ones. The issue is when those trees come down we are totally exposed by the neighbour's window. It will take some time (depending on which types of tree we put in) until we regain our privacy.

In the meantime I am considering the badminton netting type of screening scenario as outlined above until the trees are giving us our privacy back again at which time we will take down the netting.

Thanks

DOCARCH

bobbyss wrote: »

My plan would be to have two or three poles, bamboo (or something thin but very strong) with some netting/screen along at more than 2 meters high which ivy could grow until trees grow in its place. The poles/bamboos/rods (or whatever I can find that is suitable) would be based in big plant containers weighed in by soil and rocks to make it stable. There would be nothing attached to the wall. It would be temporary, not permanent. The plant containers are movable though they would be heavy.

Would PP still be needed?

I would say, in theory, yes.

nuac

How long is the adjoining house there?.

Window always the same?

antoinolachtnai

I think this is a project for your landscaper. At the back of my house, the landscaper suggested and supplied a ligustrum japonicum. It came about three or four meters high. As originally planted it provided a degree of screening and it has grown well.

The netting with ivy - the ivy would still take time to grow.

Putting posts that are more than 2m high in the ground in a way that they are secure is not necessarily a simple thing to do!

Staph

nuac wrote: »

How long is the adjoining house there?.

Window always the same?

@nuac He said earlier that the window has always been there.

@op Honestly, these are elements you consider before you move house. It's a bit shortsighted to try an shield yourself from the neighbours, when you moved into a house with an overlooked garden.

I love Sean nos

nuac wrote: »

Window always the same?

Probably. Would be expensive to fit a different one every week.

Why would you think the neighbour is caring what you do in your garden? If it is always like this, why the matter now? I don't understand.

Where I live there may be 8 houses who have windows that see my garden. I think this is normal for many people.