Neighbours want an extension

Another vote for M0nica

I agree with MOnica - this needs to be hard headed decision with a firm eye on the resale of their own flat in due course.

The point of the application for planning permission is so that those who may be affected can have a say and put forward their point of view to an objective 3rd party - don't be afraid to use the system, that's what it's there for.

I think you are right M0nica - no time to be sentimental.
As for a cooler garden - this is Scotland where we are permanently several degrees below the rest of the UK and their garden is already shaded for a lot of the day. A roof terrace on the other hand ......

If their neighbours had been good friends they would have spoken to your DS before drawing up plans and getting an Architect involved, your DS could then have had some input and made suggestions so that the extension wouldn’t negative,y affect their property.

It seems that the ‘friends’ decided to go ahead even though it negatively impacted your son, time for him to object rather than risk having his property devalued.

Just because they are friendly with these neighbours shouldn’t cloud their judgement. What if it were neighbours who they had never spoken to who wanted to build this extension? Would they feel the same?

And these neighbours might build the extension, make a killing on their property and move elsewhere.

Must be difficult, but they need to think of all the implications.

MOnica.
Exactly !!!

Thank Grammaretto i see the problem

Forget friendship. The future price and saleability of their house could be majorly impacted to their disadvantage by this extension.

They need to look at the extension plans with a cool eye - and if that means objecting to the extension because of the deleterious effect it will have on their home they must put in reasoned objections. If they don't, they are making a present to their neighbour of part of the value of their home. That loss of value could later makes it impossible for them to move on to another better home.

There could be potential for your daughter to have a lovely roof terrace off the room that overlooks the extension - would be better than a garden that you have to go down stairs to.

Does it mean they'll be looking out over new roofing instead of garden?

A shaded garden might not be such such bad thing in the future, given the climate crisis.

tanith It is their garden which will be shaded by the downstairs extension, not their flat.
The house is Victorian and was divided many years ago.

Thanks all. I think they have had notice served on neighbours for planning approval so have to make a decision quickly about whether or not to raise an objection.
My instinct would be to make sure they have all the information before taking a decision. I don't know if they could talk to the planners and look at the plans.
They may be alarmed because the previous owners of downstairs cut down some large old trees which were a great screen from the main road, without any consultation and then promptly sold their flat!
I tend to agree with you PollyDolly that neighbours come and go and it is their home and maybe it should be the neighbours who should consider a larger flat.

Sorry I’m a little confused if they are in the top flat how can a ground floor extension affect their light and amenity? I do agree with the others that it might affect their friendship but which is more important to them.

Your DS and DIL might want to sell in the future. If the extension shades them, it is unlikely planning permission will be granted.

We bought in 1985, pre 'right to light' regs, and out neighbours had built a double extension on the back, our garden was very shaded.

If planning consent has been applied for because the size of the extension requires this, your DS and d.i.l. will be contacted by the local planning authority for an opportunity to raise any objections.

I understand that the friendship is important but if they have real concerns about how this may impact on them, they have no choice but to raise their objections with the local planning authority.

Within reason I would anything to avoid a bad situation with neighbours.
Next door to us had an extension. It did cut down some of our view of some lovely trees. But they are such good neighbours we wouldn’t have dreamt of saying anything.

There is no guarantee that the application action will get past the preliminary stages after which point neighbours can raise objections.

However, what they should consider is that they own their flat and had rights to live there with no disruption , friends come and go but it is their home, how much do they value it??