Objecting to planning

[motorbiking]

My neighbour is planning to extend his house right up to the boundary line. Currently my house is almost on the boundary and I was always worried when I bought it that maintenance would be an issue on that side. Currently he only has a garage on that side so we’ve always been able to get ladders up etc for maintenance.

His plans are ambitious and would make maintenance on that side almost impossible. I have established rain water drainage guttering and eaves on that side and I know there are only limited options to discourage him.

we’ve already made clear that we won’t allow foundations on our land and will decline a party wall notice to ensure a surveyor is appointed to make an award.

there is a real risk of damp between the two walls. Are there any angles that a planner would consider? I’m trying to encourage him to leave a gap for a path to his back garden but he understandably want to Maximise the size of his extension and doesn’t care about losing access to his back garden.

any thoughts?

 

[DevilDamo]

You’re asking him to retain a gap on ‘his’ side in order for you to use and maintain ‘your’ side?

Has your property already been extended up to the boundary line or that is how the original house is positioned on the site?

Just out of interest, what is it your neighbour is proposing?

 

[motorbiking]

My house was originally built up to the boundary. In the early 1930s. His was built later about 5-10 years as a semi without the garage. Later a garage was added up to his side of the boundary 1950. Planning granted.

a few years ago he extended his garage without planning and dug up part of my foundations “by accident”. As a “favour” he repaired it. No party wall notice served. He’s now better informed.

it’s a single story side extension that replaces his garage comes forward about 2m (would now be in front of my house from a building line POV) and comes back level with mine at the back extending his house about 3m at the rear. The whole side extension would run about 20m and increases his ground floor by about 70%

I’m trying to encourage him to maintain a path to the rear of his house for mutual benefit and would allow him easement over the approx 30-40cm of my land to make it viable so 500-600 gap for him and 300-400 from me and he has a rear access path that helps both. I understand why he’s not keen. Having settled on a design and paid architect fees. This thread is more about options to “encourage”.

when I extended the other side of my house planning said they don’t like you going under a meter to the boundary. But thst was because we had windows.

 

[^woody^]

If a building is sheltered by another then there is no need for maintenance as there is no weathering.

So what will need maintaining? Gutters? You'll be in exactly the same position as the neighbour. But these will still be accessible.

As a principle, it is unfair that you have been permitted to extend to the boundary, but the neighbour can't do the same. And it's not reasonable for anyone to expect their neighbour to keep a gap between houses just so the they can benefit from it.

 

[Nakajo]

The OP didn't 'extend to the boundary'

 

[sxturbo]

I currently have this, a neighbor has built a shed onto the side of their property.

Prior to them building there was a path on both sides with an invisible boundary, essentially it was a shared access at the time of building, and each had a gate to there respective gardens at the end of the path.

Their house is detached and mine semi.

They have a side access on the other side of their house so they didn't care.

It has left my property with a narrow side access about 800mm which makes it impossible for me to do any maintenance to the side of the house without scaffolding.

Unfortunately for me it was there when we moved in, and when we looked at the house I didn't think much of it, and didn't see it as a problem at first. However now I've been here just over a year it's a right ball ache.

Getting furniture in and out the house has been a right pain in the bum, as they can't go through the front door due to the way the hall and walls are laid out.

So I'm on your side,

 

[motorbiking]

If a building is sheltered by another then there is no need for maintenance as there is no weathering.

So what will need maintaining? Gutters? You'll be in exactly the same position as the neighbour. But these will still be accessible.

As a principle, it is unfair that you have been permitted to extend to the boundary, but the neighbour can't do the same. And it's not reasonable for anyone to expect their neighbour to keep a gap between houses just so the they can benefit from it.

I don’t disagree other than this is how my house was built. My worry is water getting between the walls and never drying out or the need to repair roof or gutters. I’m totally mindful that he has a right to build on his land. All I can do is make it clear that I’d want a party wall award and he’d need to built eccentric foundations should he want to come up right to the boundary.

Is it possible to have scaffolding clear a 20m gap ?

 

[^woody^]

I think you are worrying unnecessarily about problems occurring between two walls. In practical terms with two gutters and eaves, walls will be well spaced, but even with a small gap there are no issues.

Access to gutters may if anything be a consideration. There will be options to renew any existing gutters/fascia/ eaves felt etc at the time of the build if need be and this will see you out.

A party wall award can allow foundations across the boundary

 

[Loofah]

I doubt he will get planning for a two storey extension up the the boundary (should he submit that), single storey won't present any real issue wrt accessing gutters in addition to what you already experience. Planning may also not like his extending to front