Neighbour wanting to access my property

No need to feel guilty about trying to keep yourselves safe, it is not vital he has the work done.

There is nothing wrong in that you said yes originally, you were being helpful, and then thought it through and came to a sensible decision.

You've done the right thing Dorset and TBH I'm surprised that this cleaning company is still operating.

Don’t even think of them walking through your house (putting you at risk) to save a birds nest! You did the right thing in the end, that’s the main thing. Can’t your neighbour reschedule his jet washing?

I think the difficulty is in putting ourselves first. We are mostly polite and accommodating as a society. Saying ‘no, I’d rather you didn’t right now’ is perhaps a sentence we all need to practice!

You are not allowed to let anyone into your house just now so you can tell him that you are sticking to the rules and that when things go back to normal he can ask again.

He doesn't come, for the birds nest alone. Tell him he can come back in the winter. Sorted.

You are absolutely entitled to say no in this instance. He will have to wait like the rest of the world is doing. If he takes exception then he’ll lose out in the future.

Stick to your guns it’s not vital work he shouldn’t be having anyone doing cleaning it’s not a burst pipe or gas leak it’s not necessary

Thank you everyone, as your all so right and reading my thoughts. We are both isolating as Boris suggested for at least the next three weeks, my daughter is getting our shopping and we are, like everyone I am sure, extremely worried especially with the death toll rising each day. For the life of me why would this Company come out to do this job is beyond me, I suppose they feel they won’t catch or carry it.

I can't see how the work this company do can be classed as "essential" work, to be honest. At least, not for the cleaning of general conservatories right now. I wouldn't be surprised if they contact your neighbour to postpone coming.
You are not being at all unreasonable. Your health and well being has to prioritise over a cleaned conservatory. ?

He should not be bothering you with coming in and out of your garden, why can't he do something about his shed roof and get it moved further away from your fence.

As far as his conservatory is concerned that is his problem and tell them not to look for access from your garden as you do not want anyone out there. Anyway are conservatory cleaners essential workers? I do not think they are so ask him why they are still working considering the stay home rules at the moment.

I agree with the other posters.
No this is not at all essential.

Personally I think he should have had the conservatory built in a way that it could be cleaned from his property rather than expect others to accommodate him when it needs cleaning. We had ours built with plain brick wall on the side adjoining the neighbours garden for that very reason.

Window cleaners are among the people allowed to keep working. Do not let them in your house though that id a different story.

I am trying to visualise this.
If one side of his conservatory is nearly up against your boundary it's not going to matter if the windows on that particular side are dirty anyway, as he won't see much through them, except your fence.

So there is no need whatsoever to come on to your property.

I would imagine your neighbour realises you are not being awkward but that you have reflected on the issue and, for a number of valid reasons, don't feel comfortable allowing access at this particular time. If you were being difficult, presumably you would have said no at the outset.

If you have an otherwise good relationship with your neighbour, I would hope he would understand your situation and not take umbrage.

Some of the posts on here seem unnecessarily combative to me. It is, in my opinion, not helpful to ramp it up by raising all sorts of other side issues that presumably the OP was not unduly concerned about.

Dorset How did your neighbour respond to your refusal - was he annoyed.? If he wasn't, then just forget about it.
If he was, ditto. It is your house and your garden and you had every right to make the decision you did.

Eloethan, he didn’t like it at all when my husband saw him whilst getting a daily paper (I know, we are not going out anymore even for a paper), he told my husband that I had agreed to it and what’s changed, my dh said the death toll was rising making us more anxious. We have had a good relationship but do find, they especially him, expect us to allow them full entitlement to come over which is why he has left one fence panel loose to slide up allowing him access. He bought his house 15 years ago and the shed and conservatory were already butted up to my the fence. The glass on the conservatory rises to a point that would be difficult to get onto (one side) I admit. This is not an ordinary cleaner it is a specialised company that clean the glass inside and out and all the plastic decorative parts. As it is his guttering runs along the party wall which was never big enough to hold water, spilling and drenching into the side part of my garden so I put a butt in which helps me now. I am hoping to move when all this is over as 6 years has really made me feel trapped with this type of fence/shed/guttering/conservatory being all such a hindrance. Sorry to go on especially in such terrible frightening times, it seems so trivial. However I do so appreciate your thoughts and comments.