Unreasonable party wall surveyor?

rach9980

We are currently seeking a party wall agreement from our neighbours who have defaulted and appointed their own surveyor as they have been against our proposed extension from the onset (despite it having a smaller footprint than their own extensions but hey Ho) 

We will not be attaching to their property and the single storey extension will be offset from the boundary by approx 20cm 

Their surveyor had requested that on the excavation party line we use the hit and miss foundation method in one metre chunks. This will add at least £1500 to our costs. However on speaking to our building control officer who knows the layout, plans and the soil well ... they have advised that equally as acceptable with minimal risk is the boarding/shoring method where we use boards to support the earth to the sides of the trenches until the concrete goes in. 

So my question is... can the PWS ask for a method over and above what the BCO who will sign off the project will accept? Our structural engineer has also said our method is acceptable to him. 

It certainly feels like this surveyor is being purposefully pedantic and asking for over and above what is structurally required. 

Can anyone please advise? 

Thanks 

MalMonroe

Surely your council has the last word, as you have to apply to them for planning permission in the first place. I assume the BCO works for them?

Your neighbours have every right to employ their own surveyor at their own cost if they wish but at the end of the day, I wouldn't have thought that their surveyor had any authority over your extension. That would be the council and the BCO.

You could double-check with your council and tell them what your neighbour's surveyor has said and how much more it will cost you. If there's a cheaper but just as effective and acceptable alternative it seems silly to crack on with your neighbours' surveyor's suggestion. 

What input did you have into your neighbours' extensions? Perhaps they could have the same input into yours?

rach9980

Thanks. Happy for them to appoint a surveyor and knew they would , despite us having to pay. Their surveyor believes this to be the safest method despite building control saying they will accept an alternative merhod
he Will not sign the award if we don’t agree. Just really feel like we are held over a barrel when other methods are acceptable to those in the know. Really unimpressed with the whole Party Wall arena. It’s meant to be an enabling act where surveyors act on all owners best interests. Current bill is over 2k for both surveyors and rising! If we don’t agree it will need to go to a third surveyor to decide and then the costs continue to spiral. It’s just all feels very unreasonable