Water butt or soakaway, old conservatory

Section62

Boohoo said:

If the council have signed it off and it's all legal then the council can't do anymore can they?

It depends on the details - for example what was discussed with the BCO before the signoff and whether that work was completed.

Also, as I've pointed out already, building control is not the only type of enforcement powers councils have in relation to drainage issues. Having your project signed off by building control doesn't exempt you from enforcement/legal action taken under other powers or rights.

Boohoo said:

If it was me I would leave it as it is because if you pay £100's or 2 grand to do a soak away then your neighbour will think they have won the battle and then find more things for you to correct on their behalf.

Neighbour disputes like this need to be handled carefully. If there is a genuine issue with the water butt then digging your heels in and refusing to make changes can backfire. If you've guessed wrong then council or civil action against you could rapidly create a five-figure legal bill and that would give the neighbour a lot more satisfaction than the cost of a soakaway.

People like this are often willing to devote considerable time to researching the law to find avenues to make trouble. Councils generally only get involved if there is a genuine issue. If the council is saying the OP needs to install a soakaway then this shouldn't be ignored.

Also, as I've mentioned above, if the roof drainage isn't adequate then it may be causing damage to the OP's own property - conservatory foundations are notoriously poor and on the wrong kind of soil even a relatively small amount of water can cause damage in the long term. Ignoring council 'advice' to install a soakaway to avoid giving the neighbour satisfaction might end up being a costly mistake.