Neighbour brick wall built directly on their driveway?

[JamToday]

What factors determine the viability of building a brick wall directly off your concrete driveway?

My neighbour has had a large wall built on the edge of his drive, and I wonder if this is acceptable. If so, what conditions would typically need to be met for this to occur?

 

[Murdochcat]

What do your local planning rules say about this ?

 

[JamToday]

He's a solicitor, so I imagine thats covered.

Am more interested in the viability of the wall construction, the builders seemed like cowboys to me.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Got a photo?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

A solicitor? I wouldn't bank on him having any great knowledge with respect to Planning or Building Control Law.

 

[JamToday]

I don't believe there are any specific planning restrictions; I have submitted planning myself for my gate and don't recall anything.

I was wondering about a like-for-like replacement; the original was a fence.

Most concerned about it toppling over at some point and hurting someone or damaging my property (the builders did not give a s##t about my property during construction). I cannot see how they established that the concrete drive they built from was sufficient for the task.

Here are the pictures...

 

[pcaouolte]

What's the hole at the bottom for about half way along? Is it to let the rainwater from there drive run onto your garden?
It should look smart with a fence or railings between the piers.

 

[noseall]

What factors determine the viability of building a brick wall directly off your concrete driveway?

Only a complete nutter would build a wall on top a regular concrete driveway. And not just for its bearing capacity either.

 

[johnny2007]

Too late now, isn't it?
You need to keep an eye on that wall and report any cracks, leaning or anything else you might see wrong with it.
It might be decades before it starts giving in.
When I moved here there was a porch built on soil in the 70s, no fundation at all.
It started pulling away from the property after 10 years, so 40 years after it had been built.
And I'm sure it would've still be there if they'd tied it to the property.
Of course it's always best to do things properly but if it's out of your hands, what can you do???

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

You can report it to Building Control, they may investigate, they ought to. You can also let the planners know, they're limited to 1m adjacent to the highway, whilst the wall may be OK the piers aren't.

 

[JamToday]

What's the hole at the bottom for about half way along? Is it to let the rainwater from there drive run onto your garden?
It should look smart with a fence or railings between the piers.

Its for Hedge hogs (but yes I also thought the same thing initially)

 

[Bouy]

As long as the bearing on the supporting ground is acceptable which in this case it is there is no structural issue as such. Cannot imagine planning having an issue with a couple of piers adjacent the highway and BC won't be interested in a garden wall

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

As long as the bearing on the supporting ground is acceptable which in this case it is there is no structural issue as such. Cannot imagine planning having an issue with a couple of piers adjacent the highway and BC won't be interested in a garden wall

You have no way of knowing that, planners may well take a view on the piers - they do not comply and BC may well be interested in a wall that could fail.

 

[carmanmemoranda]

The concrete of the base in picture 2.

Is that on your property?

 

[^woody^]

It's not a building regulation issue, not a structure, and they have no remit to inspect garden walls.

We've dug out lots of times next to boundary walls that are on 3-4" of concrete just below the surface which have been up for decades. So other that "it should be" there is no guarantee that shadow foundations won't be adequate.