[pete-p]

So, longish story...

Someone has bought the house across the road (and renting it out) which has a double garage and small side garden. They've applied for planning permission to demolish the garage and build another detached house in place of it and the garden!

The planning was oddly granted, all the neighbours objected as it's a tiny plot with not enough space and it'll be overlooking the garden of the house behind (only 4.5m away reducing to 2.5m as at an angle), plus the parking spaces don't actually meet the council's standards as they are too narrow!

I then noticed that there is a restrictive covenant which is to benefit the whole estate (as a building scheme) which says that the plot cannot be used "otherwise than as a single private dwelling house". My home legal insurance won't cover to enforce the covenant since nothing has happened yet, if they start building it'll be a nuisance so might then.

I and my neighbours would rather get something done before they start though since it'll be a major inconvenience on a narrow road. Does anyone have any experience in this? I was thinking of writing a letter to warn them it'll be breaking the covenant. Probably don't want to threaten legal action as it'll just get them wound up but feel they ought to know, or know that others know in case they are aware. Not sure where to begin really...