Neighbour's extension, dormer or tree felling: how to raise it and object

A letter from the council, a site notice or a remark over the fence: the neighbours are building. A rear extension, a loft conversion with a dormer, or the big tree at the end of the garden coming down. For them it is a long-held wish; for you it may mean a patio in shade, a window looking straight into your garden or a view that changes.

Why a neighbour's plans feel so sensitive

A building project is rarely a whim. Your neighbours have thought about it for months, paid an architect and probably have a family that needs space. Any remark can quickly feel like an attack. At the same time, they cannot see from their side what it means for you. Common worries are:

• Loss of light. A three-metre-high extension along the boundary puts a patio or kitchen in shade for part of the day.

• Overlooking. A dormer, roof terrace or new side window looks straight into your bedroom or garden.

• A changed outlook. The green view at the end of the garden disappears when a tree is felled or a high wall goes up.

The biggest worry is often not knowing exactly what is coming. Simply seeing the drawings usually helps a great deal.

Raise it kindly

Assume your neighbours do not know what their plan means on your side. Ask to see the drawings and describe specifically what you expect, without dismissing the plan:

"I read that you are planning a rear extension. Could I see the drawings? I think our patio would be in shade in the afternoon, and I'd like to look together at whether anything could be adjusted."

Invite them to look from your garden. From their side it is often impossible to see exactly where the shade falls or which window overlooks what.

What you can ask for and agree

Don't ask for the whole plan to be dropped. Ask for one change that makes the difference for you:

• Slightly lower or less deep. Half a metre often saves a couple of hours of sun.

• A flat roof instead of a pitched roof that ends up higher.

• Obscure glazing or a high-level window on your side, so there is no overlooking.

• No balcony or roof terrace overlooking your garden, or a privacy screen.

• A new tree or hedge elsewhere if a tree is being felled.

Put what you agree briefly in writing and ask whether the change will also be shown in the plans submitted to the council.

What do the rules say in England?

Extensions, dormers and many other alterations need planning permission, although some smaller works fall under permitted development. The council publicises an application, usually with a site notice or a letter to neighbours, and the period for comments is at least 21 days. The council may consider later comments, but does not have to. It weighs material planning considerations, such as overlooking, loss of privacy, loss of light or overshadowing. Loss of a private view and the effect on house prices are generally not taken into account, and neighbours have no right of appeal if permission is granted.

Work on or near a shared wall may fall under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, which requires your neighbour to serve notice on you. Felling a tree protected by a Tree Preservation Order needs council consent, and trees in a conservation area must be notified to the council in advance. This article is general information, not legal advice; always check the deadline on your council's planning website.

Keep a log

Note what you know and where you read it: the date of the letter or site notice, the dimensions on the drawings, what your neighbours told you and what you agreed. Take dated photos from your own property, ideally at the time of day when the shade would fall. Write the council's deadline down separately.

In practice

Objections are heard, but they do not always change the outcome. In Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, neighbours on both sides objected to two rear dormers on a bungalow, saying they had lost privacy in their garden and conservatory. The planning committee nevertheless approved the dormers by seven votes to two, as they sat at the back with limited visibility (source: Warwickshire World). The lesson: a specific change agreed with your neighbours, such as obscure glazing, often achieves more than an objection on its own.

If you can't solve it together

• Comment to the council before the deadline. The period keeps running while you talk. You can do both at the same time.

• Try community mediation. A neutral mediator helps get the conversation going again.

• Ask the case officer. The planning officer named on the application can explain which rules apply and whether the work needs permission at all.

Prefer to write a short note yourself first? Create a friendly first letter in two minutes with our free message generator.

Help with the first message

The CalmNotes pack for neighbours' building plans gives you editable example messages to ask for the drawings and suggest a change, with a reminder and a third message if nothing changes, guidance on deadlines and a log. Read more on our page about neighbours' building plans.