A FURIOUS couple say £30,000 has been wiped off the value of their house due to a neighbour’s “intrusive” bungalow.
Roger Smith, 59, and wife Sharon, 61, from the Nottinghamshire village of Newthorpe, have been left distraught by the impact of a new-build bungalow next door.
They say it is so close they can touch the roof from their garden
The bungalow backs onto the Smiths’ garden and was itself subject of a fierce planning permission battle which went on for years.
Plans for the bungalow had been rejected several times by Broxtowe Borough Council and once by the Government’s Planning Inspectorate when appealed by the applicant.
But another appeal was allowed by the Planning Inspectorate in July 2018 and planning permission was granted so building could start.
The home was built two year ago after the land, with planning permission, was sold to a new owner, according to the Smiths, who say the property has brought them misery since.
Mr Smith told the Nottingham Post: “It dwarfs our garden completely. We’ve had to put up blinds to keep our privacy and it’s ruined the light.
“It’s definitely devalued our home as well. I just can’t believe it was ever built to be honest.”
Mrs Smith said: “It’s so intrusive and close. You can reach out and touch the roof from our garden.”
The husband and wife say they had even tried to buy the land to prevent the bungalow being built but were unsuccessful.
They say and independent property valuation found the bungalow next door had cut as much as £30,000 off the price of their home since the bungalow had been constructed.
Mr Smith said: “We were told it may have knocked £25,000 to £30,000 off the house. Our neighbours aren’t happy either, one of them has put up conifers along their house to block it out.:
Mrs Smith added: “We can’t do anything now, but we want to highlight the issue really. The applicant gets a right to appeal at that level but we do not.”
An inspector’s report detailing the Planning Inspectorate’s decision acknowledged a small proportion of the rear wall of the proposal and all of its roof would be visible from the Smiths' property.
But the inspector added the "modest height and shallow pitch roof would mean it would not obstruct the outlook from this neighbouring property".
The Inspector said: "I have carefully considered the effect of this proposal on the occupiers of these two neighbouring dwellings and on other surrounding properties.
“However, overall, I do not consider the proposal in Appeal A would unacceptably harm the living conditions of the neighbouring residents."
Planning agent Steve Dance, speaking on behalf of applicant Mark Copeland who previously obtained permission and sold the land, told the paper: "We had various appeals, and lost one and won one.
"Actually, the one we lost was designed to avoid going past their garden, so the bungalow that got consent does go past their garden - which we won on appeal.
"We fought long and hard to get a development on the site, it was totally appropriate for at least one dwelling.
"We had various designs refused and that we designed to avoid impact on neighbours.
"We won it fair and square on appeal, both neighbours were consulted and I'm sure objected to it."
