A Monmouth couple has been told to install a privacy fence after neighbours complained their “luxury shed” was too large and intrusive.
Llinos Ndlovu and her husband built the glass-fronted garden room and decking at the end of their home without planning permission in 2023.
Monmouthshire County Council has now approved the structure retrospectively, but only after imposing strict conditions on privacy, lighting and wildlife protection.
What was built and why it caused complaints
The garden room that was installed without planning permission is a timber-clad outbuilding that sits about 30 metres from the couple’s house, measures 7.25 metres long and 2.74 metres high, and stands on decking raised by up to 1.1 metres on one side because of the sloping garden.
Six objections were received from four households. One neighbour wrote: “I was surprised a while ago to notice a structure in the garden of one of the properties which is completely overbearing on the character of the road.”
Another objector said the raised platform “allows the structure to dominate the other houses in the road” and complained it was “intrusive” and “adversely impacts on the character and appearance of the area.”
Supporters argued that similar garden buildings already existed on Beech Road and that the new room “fulfilled a purpose of helping the resident work from home,” according to Monmouth Town Council’s consultation response.
Council ruling and conditions imposed
The case was called in by ward councillor Steve Garratt because of “amenity impact reasons” and was reviewed by the council’s delegated planning panel.
Planning officer Helen Etherington concluded in her report that the garden room’s “timber finish and mono-pitched roof are considered appropriate for the urban setting” and that, overall, the design was acceptable.
However, she noted that “given the proximity of the building and decking area to the boundary with the northern neighbour… there is a possible overlooking impact.”
To address this, the council imposed a condition requiring a two-metre-high willow privacy screen on that boundary for planning permission to be granted for the shed, and it must be installed within a month and retained permanently.
A Monmouthshire County Council spokesperson said in a written statement: "The council approved the retrospective application subject to measures to safeguard neighbouring privacy and local biodiversity, including the installation of a willow screen and bird box.”
Further planning conditions restrict external lighting to low-level, motion-sensor fittings “to protect foraging routes for bats,” and require the bird box to be installed on the shed’s front elevation.
Why did the council approve the shed?
Monmouth Town Council supported approval “with conditions,” noting that many gardens on Beech Road “had little to no privacy at certain points due to the incline” and recommending extra planting to “soften the visual impact.”
The final decision allows the “luxury shed” to stay, provided its new willow screen keeps the peace, the lights stay dim for bats, and the bird box goes up to boost local biodiversity.
