Neighbour not giving consent to move manhole

Bunti

Hi, I currently have 3 bedroom semi detached house with space on the left side (when facing the house) to extend into. I want to build a double storey side extension. Both me and my neighbours currently have a shared manhole on our boundary. I want to build an double storey extension on top of the area where the manhole is and so asked neighbour for permission to move the existing manhole and build a separate manholes for both the neighbour and myself (at no cost to the neighbour at all, I would pay full costs). In the long term having separate manholes would be beneficial for both of us. However neighbour is not giving me consent to do this.

Note planning and building regulations have both been approved. Just the neighbour is not giving consent to move the manhole -citing the brief disturbance that might be caused as the reason for not going for the better longer term solution.

The neighbour is not giving me consent to move the existing manhole and therefore I have no option but to leave around 50cm gap on the side of the extension so there is still access to the manhole. I really do not want to do this, I don't understand why something has was put in places decades ago I now have to suffer for.

This is such a waste of space along the side that I cannot build onto.

Can you please advise what other options I have here? I can't be the first person that's been in this situation. Given we are trying to do what's best long term, the neighbour is being very difficult.
Thanks

hazyjo

Is it the neighbour that you're joined to, or the one the other side who may actually be affected or inconvenienced by your extension?

Bunti

No it's the not the neighbour I'm joined to currently. It's the other other side where the manhole is shared. Thanks

natrapx

So the neighbor who you share the manhole with is getting a double storey extension built next to their house? I'm guessing that may be part of the reason they won't give you permission....

AndyPix

Bunti wrote: »

Given we are trying to do what's best long term,

Best for who ?

Grezz24

maybe he is unhappy about the extension thats about to happen.

hazyjo

Bunti wrote: »

No it's the not the neighbour I'm joined to currently. It's the other other side where the manhole is shared. Thanks

Are you losing your side access into the garden? Just working out how big the gap is. If so, basically you're preventing them ever extending without it either becoming a terrace or a semi still with a tiny gap between the houses (expect there are rules on how big this should be these days).

natrapx wrote: »

So the neighbor who you share the manhole with is getting a double storey extension built next to their house? I'm guessing that may be part of the reason they won't give you permission....

Exactly that. You may be blocking light, overlooking their property, lots of noise and work, who knows if the re-siting of the manhole will affect their current paving/drive/surfacing and what state it will be left in, whether there may be future issues and who pays to rectify, scaffolding maybe on their property to support the works, the list goes on. Not to mention you may be preventing them ever extending as I replied to Bunti.

EmmyLou30

So if I understand this right you're building right up to the boundary and removing any access you have to the rear of your property - I'd rethink that if I were you. A narrow path that accommodates the manhole would seem sensible and also allow your neighbour to build exactly the same extension in the future. Maybe that's why he objects as you can't both build up to the boundary without a very silly un maintainable gap between them.

TBagpuss

Are there other options as to where the man hole could be moved to? e.g. further forward but on your land not joint? Have you asked the neighbour what their preferred option for dealing with it would be?

AdrianC

Manholes can't just be moved randomly. They have to go onto the drainage system - and if there's a shared manhole on the border, the chances are that it opens onto an inspection chamber where your and his outflows join onto a single connection to the main sewerage.


Have you taken that into consideration? Do you know, for sure, where the pipework actually runs?


Can you post a sketch of what you're talking about, with the pipe runs marked onto it?

BrassicWoman

they currently lose part of their garden to half an manhole. and after they'll lose more to all of a manhole.

I am darned if I can see what's in it for them, but I can see what they lose.