Ground floor overlooking?

[Alan Ambrose]

A question re ground floor and 'overlooking'.

 

We have a neighbour who is planning to object to our just-filed design as we have some ground floor windows on the side of our proposed building which face one side of a new dwelling he just got permission for. There's no certainty that his dwelling will actually get built, but if it did, the gap between ours and his new building would be 10.5m. (The actual distance between windows in each building would be a bit larger.) Now there's a thick 3m high / 1m wide rural hedge between us that to my untutored eye looks 'impenetrable' but he thinks it's 'still inadequate to screen'. It's his hedge, if that makes any difference.

 

Given that it's all rural and flat around here - is 'ground floor overlooking' even a thing?

[LaCurandera]

He can oppose on whatever basis he wants, but whether it'll be successful will be down to the planning policy of your council. They usually have a defined policy doc (I used ours in our appeal) which lays out their own rules, but I understand that ground floor windows never have to be obscured, only first floor:

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/doors-and-windows/planning-permission

"If new windows are in an upper-floor side elevation they must be obscure-glazed and either non opening or more than 1.7 metres above the floor level"

 

[ToughButterCup]

You say '... planning to  object ...' Typical neighbourly fuss about nowt.  

Check your local council rules about the issue: but I bet you this is nothing to lose any sleep about at all.