My neighbours that live at the end of my garden had new windows put in last year and instead of a window in their bedroom they put in a patio door with a railing across and spend ALOT of time standing up their overlooking my garden!!!
Obviously my dogs don't like this and neither do I :-(
GRRR
Paula xxx

Isnt this against privacy laws or something?...contact your local council and have a polite word with them saying that you have contacted the council.
Get some binoculars and look back at them..or just wave everytime you see them!!!

I would check with planning as it may come under permitted development or may need planning permission.

I don't need to wave as my boy lets them know I know they are there when he barks!
now I've NEVER allowed my dogs to bark continually as I am at home with them but I am tempted to let them disturb their peace a little!!!
I would have though it was against some privacy law too, will have to look into it.
Paula xx 

To the right of my garden I have 3 houses with thier back-gardens backing on to my garden (if that makes snes? - they are at a right-angle to me). HOwever, we are on a hill, thier side being up-hill to us. So thier back-doors open out onto balconies which have a flight of stairs (metal steps) going down into thier gardens. In short, thier balconies look down into our garden.

1 of the houses is partly obscured from us with conifers, so we only have them gawping if we go to the bottom of our garden - but the chap there likes to hang out of his bed-room window having a cig, nosing down onto our patio
The next house has a lovely little yorkie (whom Bust has had a few walks with :) ), she will very occasioanlly chops a little bark, but if we say 'hiya' to her, she'll go all silly and wiggle around in glee :) If I do see the woman from that house we'll wave a 'hello' at each other, or she'll come down into her garden for us to have a chin-wag.
The next house has an Akita, who will stand on his balconly barking and at Buster. Buster is brill with this sort of thing though and geenrally doesn't bother, he never barks back and he ignores the people unless they say 'hi'. The people from that house are not 'gawpers' but thier kids get a lot of visitors so there tends to be streams of teens looking over & saying 'hi'.

Sorry for all the waffle, but I do know how you feel, it's a bit llike being in a fish bowl! Privacy is just a dream........

Having a little boogie around the patio whilst looking back at the gawpers tends to make them go away :)

Hi Pauladal,
Just contacted my local council planning dept and they seem to think they might have needed planning permission as its not a standard window they have put in..if thats the case and they dont have permission they will have to take it out and then apply for permission but they would have to tell you thats what they were doing so you could either agree or object.

Hope this helps a bit.

:-) yes you know my pain mastifflover LOL
They are cat people so don't have dogs looking out of the patio doors Thank God!!
They take everyone that comes to visit up their for a look too.
Paula xxx

ooh thanks Toffeecrisp, I don't want them to take it out, I just don't want them sitting up their with visitors too, looking right into my garden. But I suppose I couldn't stop them unless it was taken out. Dilemma.
Paula xxx

> They take everyone that comes to visit up their for a look too

OH my gosh, how awfull :(

How about getting a gazebo, it may give you a bit of privacy. We had a cheap one, but the wind battered it to pieces, so we're back to being 'in full view' in the garden. If you could afford one of those fancy gazeebos with a solid frame it may give you a bit of cover (rather a lot of money to fork out for a moments privacy in your OWN garden though :( ).

Other than that it's sadly a case of having to lump it :( (unless there is something that can done along the lines of prvacy regualtions - worth getting in touch with your local council?).

just a thought, but have they changed the house round..ie frontroom is now upstairs and bedroom now down...lots of people do this when they have a fab view from the upstairs and dont want to lose it when sleeping, people who bought a pup from us a couple of years ago had this and it was an amazing view aswell..but not looking over anyone I might add!!

I'm probably just going to plant some more shrubs, we have one called "red robin" which if it was in the right position would block my dogs view of their patio/window, so I will get a few more :-)
I'm too soft I know.
Paula xxx

Toffeecrisp, this is still their bedroom as I can see a bed when the doors are open and we live in a town in Liverpool...no nice view for miles LOL
OH and I have said we could understand it if they had a beautiful view, but no its just me my kids and 4 crazy dalmatians :-)
Paula xxx

If they had no planning or building regs then they would be expected to submit retrospective planning applications. It would give you a chance then to put your point of view. If refused then they would have to return it to the original state.
Aileen

Hazel (Filbert or Cobnut) grows quickly and makes a great privacy screen, you can slash at it as much as you like as it sprouts up from the bottom,  You can get red leaved types too.

I have some in one corner and it fans out enough to stop those in the gardens at right angles from being able to see in.  In the winter it is just branches, but that still does the trick enough for winter level of garden occupancy and lets in the light.

Great crops of nuts too

> Having a little boogie around the patio whilst looking back at the gawpers tends to make them go away

Oh the mental image!!  ROFLMAO   :-)  :-)

> Oh the mental image!!  ROFLMAO 

LOL, having been crouched in the garden many a time, talking sweetly to and stroking the grass/plants in the middle of the night (to try to temp Bust on the lawn for a wee), they must allready think I'm completey nuts. Day-light boogies on the patio must seem relatively 'normal' coming from a neighbour like me

no... I would hate that... what about lelandi it grows quick and really high ... would have to be careful not to block the sun out of your own garden.
Think the posh gazebo is a good idea .

try embarrassing them and  become  nudists  ..they will stay inside and you can enjoy your own garden ...or become antisocial and start peeing and swearing   , leave the dog doo dee ..dont pick it up  the pong and flies in the summer will make them keep thier door shut .... course only joking ..when really its no laughing matter....;)

mastifflover, I think I have a workmate as nuts as you! 

starryeyes fault for reminding me - and just have to share.  (sorry to hijack)

I have a gay workmate that has me cracked up (when he is totally serious too!)

He is forever moaning about his next door neighbour, and the way she rants and raves to her hubby, grumbling constantly about his shortcomings.  Evidently she has a little JR that is never taken out for a walk, and my friend moans about this too.

Then today, I asked him for the latest news on the neighbour.  Well, he said, she was evil last night, shouting her mouth off and effing and blinding so bad that I didn't know if she was talking to her husband or the dog.

Why I asked - what was she shouting?  He says - perfectly seriously - and you can stop piddling on my cabbages.  I couldn't see the computer screen through my tears!  :-)  :-)  :-)

I know how you feel!  I live in a complex, and the people across the driveway have their kitchen window looking right into mine.  Also each house is attached, so you hear noises from the neighbours.  The backyard is facing someone else's back yard.  It is like there is no moment for privacy ever!  I hate it, and cant wait to move out again!  I have no real suggestions as to how to fix the issue that have not already been mentioned.  Some of them I am gonna take on myself!  It is nice to sit outside in the nice weather with a cup of tea without constantly feeling (or knowing) youre being watched!

I think they are just showing off cos it's new and exciting, hence the reason they are taking all and sundry up to see it!  Give it a month and see if it wears off.  And if not, I would mention it to them over the fence.  I have no idea why neighbours can't moan at each other any longer?  I have a new neighbour and the first thing I said was if she ever has any issues with us, please come and tell us, don't let bad feeling simmer.
I would just say you are feeling a bit over-looked and the dog needs time to adjust to the new doors so would they mind not gawping.  It will tell them you've seen them looking and embarass them perhaps?

Boogie in the nuddy that should stop them.

Well at least I've had a bit of a laugh out of it now :-)
Thanks for all your suggestions.
Paula xxx

I was under the impression you couldn't do that, before we moved to the country 13 years ago (no neighbours and an acre and a half for the dogs = bliss) we lived in a bungalow with a bungalow whose garden backed on to our back garden. The owners applied for and got planning permission to take the roof off and build a first floor, put roof back on - obviously!! They got permission but no windows were allowed at the rear of the upstairs floor as it would have overlooked our conservatory and back garden.

Sounds like you are describing a juliette balcony and generally you dont need to get planning permission to put those in - other types of balcony you would need to get it.

Sorry your privacy is being affected by it. I would chat to the council just incase they fall under a conservation area or something where they will need to meet certain requirements.

The fact that they already had a window there means that there is very little you can do about it.  I do hope that the novelty wears off for them soon after they have shown everyone their new window. 

I used to live in a house in which the back garden was surrounded on all sides by others. It was horrible, I felt I could not step out without someone looking at me. Did not spend a lot of time in the garden as you can imagine. In the end I too bought a gazebo, one with the side curtains and put it up outside my patio door so at least we could sit out and eat out in privacy.