A new three-storey house would mean a “total loss of privacy” for residents of a bungalow next door, a neighbour has said. But council planning officers say the house wouldn’t harm neighbouring properties and should be allowed to go ahead.

Owners of one bungalow on Nine Mile Ride in Finchampstead want to demolish it and replace it with a much larger home. But their neighbours fear the new house would overshadow their own bungalow, and look out on their garden and homes.

Pauline Grainger, who lives next door, said the new house would have a “serious impact” on her bungalow if it is allowed to be built.

Under plans submitted to the council, one three-bed bungalow would be demolished and replaced with a much larger house of up to five bedrooms.

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The new house would have room for four bedrooms on the first floor – two with ensuites – and a separate bathroom.

The second floor would have a “master bedroom,” an ensuite and a walk-in wardrobe. The ground floor would have an open plan kitchen and “family area,” a snug, a study, a utility room, another bathroom, and storage space.

But neighbours Pauline and David Grainger say residents would be able to see into their garden and living rooms.

Ms Grainger spoke against the proposals at a meeting of Wokingham Borough Council’s planning committee on Wednesday, November 8.

She said: “The windows on the first floor will overlook some of our garden – no problem. But the dormer windows on the second floor will deprive us of all privacy in the garden.

“The higher you go, the greater the view and to suggest it’s only an oblique view is derisory. It is a total loss of privacy.”

She added: “Our current outlook is a low wall, low roof, and sky and this will be replaced by a wall at least twice as high and a massive roof.

“The windows on the side will look down into our living rooms, and whilst they’re called non-habitable they are bathrooms so will certainly be in use.”

Yet council planning officer James Fuller said the new building would look much more like a two-storey house with a loft conversation, similar to others nearby.

He added that the distance between the house and neighbours’ homes was enough to prevent “harmful loss of light or overbearing impact.”

He said: “Visually the design gives off the impression of a two-storey property with a loft conversion.

“Overall the design of the dwelling is not considered to harm appearance of Nine Mile Ride, which itself is characterised by a mixture of housing types, designs and styles.”

Councillors on the committee voted to delay their decision until they had visited the site themselves.