A couple in Monmouth, Wales, has been instructed to erect a fence to obstruct their neighbors’ view following the construction of a lavish shed in their backyard without obtaining proper planning permission. The shed, which features a floor-to-ceiling glass door, a timber pergola covering a vast 22ft decking area, a sofa, and workstations, replaced an old greenhouse on their property in September 2023.
Complaints arose from neighbors regarding the shed’s height, prompting the local council to intervene. As a result, the couple has been directed to install a ‘privacy screen’ to shield the structure from being visible to neighboring properties. The shed, measuring just 2.74 meters from front to back and positioned approximately 30 meters away from their main house on a sloping garden, was intended for the couple’s home office use only, as stated by applicant Llinos Ndlovu.
The couple, unaware of the planning permission requirement, only became aware of it after being contacted by the Monmouthshire County Council’s planning department following a tip-off from a local resident. Subsequently, they submitted a retrospective planning application for the shed and decking, which received objections from six parties while two neighbors supported the application.
Local councilor Steve Garratt requested further examination of the application’s impact on the area’s amenity. Concerns raised by objecting neighbors included the shed’s perceived height, potential overlooking into their garden, and fears of future commercial use. The council’s planning officer, Helen Etherington, recommended approval with conditions, including the erection of a two-meter high willow “privacy screen” along the boundary with the neighboring property, ensuring compliance with residential use only.
