Renovation puts neighbouring windows within reach, blocking homeowner’s light

A Coburg home renovation resulted in neighbours’ living room windows being “inches” from each other, with privacy screening only making the problem worse. And amazingly, the renos were all legal.

A woman who has lived in her Coburg home for 24 years says she’s baffled by a council decision to allow renovations to her next door neighbour’s home that pitted both homes’ windows just inches from each other.

Jennifer Borrell said her Sarsgood St neighbour installed larger windows last October, giving the homeowners a clear view of each other’s living spaces.

The screen was erected after renovations.

The renovated home’s toilet was also clearly visible from next door until frosted glass was installed.

The renovations were completed legally with a permit and the Leader is not suggesting any wrongdoing on the neighbour’s part for the works.

Moreland Council acting director of city futures Phillip Priest said a permit for the works had been issued because it did not break any building codes.

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“The council assessment noted that the neighbours’ boundary wall window borrows light from the next door neighbour’s site, but there is no legal right to have that situation maintained,” he said.

“The planning decision ensured that a 3sq m light court that was provided met statewide standards for access to daylight to habitable room windows.”

But Ms Borrell said that was still poor planning, and had resulted in a black screen being put up that blocked her light even more.

“It’s a bandaid for a bad planning solution, it’s clear everybody is not happy,” she said.

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Mr Priest said Ms Borrell could have appealed the decision in VCAT.

But written responses from the council to Ms Borrell, seen by the Leader, advised against taking the matter to VCAT because of the cost of an appeal.

Ms Borrell said she wanted acknowledgment from the council of the issue and hoped it didn’t happen to somebody else in the community.

Mr Priest said the council was investigating whether the screen breaches the permit.

The Leader reached out to the neighbours but did not receive a response.