i Editor's Letter: 'Blissful urban community'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.
Have you ever fallen out with your neighbours? I have written before about how blessed I feel to have our new ones, and look forward to what you might call a hyper-local community evolving out of such fortunate happenstance over the years. But it could also go very wrong, very quickly.
I've been there before in a previous life on a different street, happy in an apparently blissful urban community. Then the neighbour rings, and utters the words that can prick the bubble in the space of a sentence: "I just wanted to let you know that we are planning an extension, and wanted to reassure you that it won't affect you at all."
I have been both doorbell ringer and ringee. Of course I'm sure that as the ringer I was absolutely fair and honest and sensitive to my neighbours' concerns. Just as I am sure that as the ringee, they fed me a crock. At least back then, we knew where we were with the "10 per cent of the total size of the house" extension rule. After that, there are just the usual tensions about privacy and sunlight and the mess and noise during the build – which always takes three months longer than the builder says.
Luckily, I have never had my foundations undermined by a neighbour's plan for a basement swimming pool. Largely because I have never lived in a house where you could fit in more than a hot tub.
Sometimes red tape can be our friend. With what I can make of the Government's new planning relaxations, there will be a rush to burrow and raise and extend and enlarge. Never mind your favourite sunspot or subsidence.
Or have I got this wrong? If not, then the future will be less hyper-local, more hyper-ventilating.
Follow @stefanohat
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments