We’ve had to pay £2k after neighbour built ‘monster mansion’ – it looks like an Amazon warehouse and council is to blame
A COUPLE have been forced to spend almost £2,000 to block out their neighbour's "monster mansion" that looks like an Amazon warehouse.
Terry and Margaret Selby have not been happy with the looming cube-like property which looks down on their house in Dorset.
The couple have been watching the eyesore £350,000 mansion next door slowly get taller and taller after their new neighbours were granted planning permission.
The four-bedroom home is being built in the village of Corfe Mullen, but the Selbys say it doesn't fit in.
Terry previously slammed the house as looking like "something out of Sandbanks" or an Amazon warehouse and claimed that the old bungalow that was there beforehand should have stayed.
Terry felt so strongly that Dorset Council have made a bad call that he went to the Local Government Ombudsman, to no avail.
Read More in Money
Now, having conceded defeat in the fight to have the "monster" house knocked down, the couple have forked out £750 on four 15ft eucalyptus trees.
These trees have been planted at the bottom of their back garden in a bid to maintain their privacy.
Another neighbour, who also objected to the development, has undertaken a similar course of action - planting six trees for £1,000.
Terry told MailOnline: "It is not going to come down so we have got to do our best to try and hide it.
"At my age I needed trees that are fast growing and I was told that eucalyptus trees are the best for that.
"It is to try and get the damn monstrosity covered up."
Terry added that he had bought four 4.5 metre eucalyptus trees, which he was told will grow 4ft every year.
He continued: "I would not have had to spend anything at all had the council not allowed this to be built in the first place and I think it is only right they pay something towards it.
"But I'm sure they are going to say they have done nothing wrong on the basis it was a bungalow conversion that was there before and the new development has been built on its footprint.
"But there is a difference between a small apex roof coming just above our hedge to a monstrous warehouse building, which is the most ugly thing I have ever seen."
Terry previously claimed that they have lost eight hours of sunlight a day, and that now the frost on their lawn just doesn't thaw.
He said they've also had to replace their much-loved plants with ones that can live in the shade.
The planning row started after the Selbys' last neighbour passed away in 2022, and the house was bought for £350,000 by a couple who applied to build a four-bedroom modern home in its place.
Planning permission was granted for the home early last year.
It meant the two-storey house replaced an old bungalow previously sat on the site.
Locals were stunned when Dorset Council approved it after fearing the new home would be a "visually incongruous building".
The monstrous warehouse building is the most ugly thing I've ever seen"
Terry Selby
Terry previously said that the new home should have gone through a planning committee, but instead the council just gave it the green light.
He hoped that their new neighbours would be told the home is only allowed to be one-story - rather than its towering two.
But the couple and other residents failed in their bid to overturn the planning decision.
A spokesperson for Dorset Council said: "We have investigated Mr. Selby's complaint, and found that no mistake was made by our planning team.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
"The Local Government Ombudsman also appears to share this view, as they have chosen not to investigate the complaint.
"As a result, we do not consider the payment of any compensation to be necessary in this instance."
What are your rights in this situation?
If you have tried and failed to resolve your neighbourly issue by talking to your neighbour you can approach your local council.
Your local council can step in if the dispute involves any activity that is a nuisance or could damage your health.
You could use a mediation service if raising the issue informally does not work, according to Gov.uk.
To complain all you need to do is contact your local council, many have a specialist team to deal with disputes of this nature.
One of the most common neighbourly issues is excessive or unreasonable noise levels.
In the event of an emergency, such as if your neighbour physically attacks you, always call 999.
As a last resort you can take legal action through the courts.