Neighbour wants to knock down and rebuild.....

marmaluke

Hi all,

If anyone is in the know I'd appreciate advice, or pointing in the right direction. Our neighbours are putting in a new planning application to knock down and rebuild their half of our semi-detached houses as a detached dwelling and also build a new house in the garden. (This is following a year of them pushing to get 3 houses, and subsequently a block of 3 flats in their front garden, which eventually got refused.)

Anyway, we are very much against the proposals. The house is a 200+ year old farmhouse in central Newbury and we have major concerns about structural damage to our house and disruption. In the summer when they were doing a 'soft-strip' next door they managed to knock huge chunks of plaster off our bedroom wall. There is also a flying freehold, with one of our rooms sitting above one of theirs. Could anyone please tell me our rights with regards to party wall agreements etc, ie, can we straight up refuse? Are there any specialists we should talk to?

Cheers

tonyh66

Its going to be very difficult for them to demolish their half of the building if one of your rooms is sitting above one of theirs.

Sounds like it won't get past planning anyhow. If it does, you will need a good PW specialist as the party wall will become an external wall on your property.

They sound like the neighbours from hell.

prowla

It sounds like a bad idea to me.

marmaluke

Tell me about it!

We can't get our heads round the logistics of the proposal. Will research PW specialists. Thanks.

FreeBear

marmaluke wrote: »

The house is a 200+ year old farmhouse in central Newbury

Don't suppose the building is listed ?
If it isn't, you could have words with Historic England to see if they could intervene.

TELLIT01

Get an objection in to the council a.s.a.p. stating all the reasons for the objection. On the face of things it would seem highly unlikely to pass anyway.

marmaluke

FreeBear wrote: »

Don't suppose the building is listed ?
If it isn't, you could have words with xxx to see if they could intervene.

No it isn't listed, but that's a good idea. Will add that to the list, thanks.

phill99

terraced and semi detached houses benefit from implied covenants, one of them being the 'right of support'. None of you can do anyth8ng that would effect the structural integrity of adjacent houses.


You may want to get a solicitor involved.

Belenus

marmaluke wrote: »

...Anyway, we are very much against the proposals...

You could fight them all the way over this but have you considered an alternative approach?

If you can't beat em, join em. (you probably can beat them)

Unless you are particularly attached to the property, the location etc, you could consider joining in with them to demolish both properties and develop the combined plot if that would make a sufficient shared profit allowing you to purchase another desirable home elsewhere or keep one of the newly built properties and have some extra money in the bank.

I have no idea how feasible that might be or how acceptable it might be to you but I will make the suggestion for you to consider.

missile

Never too soon to consult a GOOD solicitor

marmaluke

Belenus wrote: »

You could fight them all the way over this but have you considered an alternative approach?

If you can't beat em, join em. (you probably can beat them)

Unless you are particularly attached to the property, the location etc, you could consider joining in with them to demolish both properties and develop the combined plot if that would make a sufficient shared profit allowing you to purchase another desirable home elsewhere or keep one of the newly built properties and have some extra money in the bank.

I have no idea how feasible that might be or how acceptable it might be to you but I will make the suggestion for you to consider.

Definitely not something we have considered, but appreciate the "outside the box" thinking!! Probably a last resort...