Guides · 5 min
Neighbours, daylight and privacy
The council is often saying no because of the house next door, not because of the style.
The usual worries
Officers look at daylight and sunlight to windows, the outlook from those windows, and overlooking from new windows into a garden or a bedroom. A deep extension on the boundary, beside a neighbour’s patio door, is the classic problem.
Some councils use a rough 45-degree test from a neighbour’s window, or a 25-degree test, as a guide. It is a guide. A pass does not guarantee a yes, and a fail is a warning, not always a refusal.
How to reduce the fight
Set the extension off the boundary. Keep the nearest part lower. Put bathroom windows in the side wall in frosted glass, or leave the side blank. Talk to the neighbour before you apply. Their support does not bind the council, but a calm neighbour helps.
Check with your council. Rules change, and every house is different.
Questions
Can my neighbour stop my extension?
They can object. The council decides. A strong objection about light or privacy is taken seriously. A dislike of the idea is not, on its own, a reason to refuse.
Do I have a right to a view?
Planning does not protect a view in the ordinary way. It does protect light, outlook and privacy in the tests councils actually use.
Check with your council. Rules change, and every house is different.