Help! Need privacy in 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 😊

Cyloncity

https://www.screwfix.ie/p/blackfriar-anti-climb-paint-black-1ltr/5810P?tc=CI9&gclid=CjwKCAiAvOeQBhBkEiwAxutUVFYhEb8u5oqyHi9KITF_7w8B5USlI4QtFSP_SazAJ7Sd1T-1mYkaRRoCLuEQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds this might stop them climbing on your wall at least? Not sure of the legality of it but sure it must be ok if it's sold for that purpose? The ESB box I'm not sure you can do anything with. Put something more appealing further down the street? A couch😉

LapsypaCork

I’d have a chat with a garden centre about putting up posts and mesh a few meters above your side of the wall. This should suffice until your plants grow and will also stop the kids balls from going into your garden. I’d also see if you can get to know the parents and mention how worried you are if any of the kids get injured jumping from the wall into your garden. I wonder where liability would lay if one of them got injured?

Alkers

Just put trelis up on your side of the wall, extending higher than the top of the wall.

I know it's annoying but try to avoid falling out with people, you've to live beside them for many years to come