Neighbours planning an extension

yakyak

Edited.......

System

yakyak wrote: »

my neighbours have been very secretive about what they have been deciding up to this point, .

They haven't been secretive. They have made you aware that they are looking to put an extension up. They have had builders in to measure up ready for putting in a planning application. They don't have to consult you at every step of the way.

Employing a surveyor that they pay for is not being awkward because that is a requirement of the party wall act.
Not letting the builders on to your land? As has been said, not a problem as it can all be done overhand. You just end up with a cr**py view of the wall and no right to tidy it up added to which it will probably cause your house to be valued lower than one with a properly finished wall facing it. Cutting off your nose to spite your face there.

Until the plans are submitted and available to you then you have absolutely no information to base any sort of objection on.

Auntie-Dolly

Blimey, you sound like a nice neighbour - no wonder they don't want to talk to you about it. It will probably happen whether you want it to or not so there is no point in getting all worked up about it. Have other houses in your street had this type of extension built? Perhaps you could go & have a look/chat to their neighbours.

cyclonebri1

I think some guys on here need to look at this from the OP's perspective for a minute, under those circumstances it looks very different, plus if I overheard my neighbours laughing about the effect their developement would have on my property then my heckles would be well and trully "up":mad:.

At the front of the property this will certainly require planning consent. As said try not to lose too much sleep as untill the plans are public, or if the neighbours are still neighbourly, untill they show them to you, there is nothing to be done.

I would do everything within my power and within law to prevent something that would have an adverse effect on my 1 and only residence and it's value, but, at the end of the day they can do what the planners allow.

I may have missed this but did you visit the Planning dept and go over the proposals with them? you don't need drawings for this, just an outline of what is to be submitted. This is probably all you can do untill it gets official.

Not letting builders on your side? I'm sure they have a right but they probably need to inform you of their intention and I'm sure you could make it awkward for them but there really is nothing to gain, only slowing whatever it is that will happen. All I would do is make it very clear that the site must be returned to it's former state and all damages etc etc.

Are you in a position to match their extension is something else to consider, but probably not on your agenda. Good luck.;)

Doozergirl

yakyak wrote: »

I think the worst of it is that they have had workmen round, deciding what to do without coming to speak to us yet about their plans....

As I don't want this extension to go up, and the fact that my neighbours have been very secretive about what they have been deciding up to this point, I'm going to make this as awkward and expensive as possible for them. (Independent surveyor, change their plans etc) I don't really get on with them, however I think that I would have to declare that I had had a dispute with the neighbours if I ever came to sell the property.

Wow. I'm not being funny at all, but the neighbours have approached you about their plans. They haven't submitted any planning application as yet and therefore not made any final decisions, so I don't personally see why or what else they should have discussed with you at this point?

The party wall surveyor is your right and they will help with the practical aspects, but purposely being an !!! about it probably won't make any difference to the planning outcome or the build outcome - whilst it will serve to annoy them, it will also make you even more unhappy in the long run when the relationship breaks down altogether.

If they do get planning permission, it's not because they wanted to spend money to spite you, it's because they want a bigger house!

Life's too short to be bitter. Why purposely go out of your way to make life living next door to them unbearable? Sounds a lot like cutting your nose to spite your face, tbh.

kaya

if they are doing it with the intention of increasing the value of their home so they can sell it thats one thing, but if they are merely trying to improve the quality of their lives i say live and let live, i would rather get on well with my neighbours than live in the middle of a feud over some inconvenience and loss of a bit of light. You dont appear to have put up any drawings as requested by previous posters so its impossible for us to tell how much impact this will really have on you, whatever they do after 6 months or so you will adapt and get used to it anyway (that's why we are top of the food chain, because we adapt and normalise), its your choice if you want to add 5 years of potential feuding neighbourly misery on top of that