A couple in Monmouth, Wales, has been instructed to erect a barrier to obstruct their neighbors’ view following the construction of a lavish shed in their backyard without obtaining proper planning permission. The luxurious shed features a floor-to-ceiling glass door, a timber pergola covering a spacious 22ft decking area, and is furnished with a sofa and workstations. The structure, built on the site of an old greenhouse, was intended for the couple to work from home.
After complaints from neighbors about the shed’s height, the local council intervened. The couple was directed to install a ‘privacy screen’ to shield the structure from being visible to neighboring properties. The shed, located approximately 30 meters from their residence at the elevated end of their sloping garden, was clarified to be exclusively for office space and not for residential purposes.
The couple, Llinos Ndlovu and her husband, admitted they were unaware of the need for planning permission until contacted by the planning department of Monmouthshire County Council. Following an investigation prompted by a local tip-off, the couple submitted a retrospective planning application for the shed and decking. While some objections were raised by neighbors, two households supported the application.
Local councillor Steve Garratt requested a thorough examination of the application’s impact on the neighborhood’s amenity. Concerns raised by objecting neighbors included the structure being too high and potentially enabling overlooking into their garden. They also expressed fears about potential future commercial use of the shed.
In a report advocating approval with specific conditions, planning officer Helen Etherington pointed out that the sloping garden accentuates the shed’s height when viewed from certain angles. To address privacy concerns, a two-meter high willow “privacy screen” must be erected along the boundary with the neighboring property as a mandatory planning requirement.
Regarding worries about potential commercial use, Etherington clarified that the permission granted was solely for activities ancillary to residential purposes.