Next door demolishing their house! Advice needed

[JukkaSarasti]

Hello everyone, wondered if anyone could give us the benefit of their wisdom and experience!

The son of our lovely, elderly next door neighbours dropped by the other day to let us know they are almost certainly going to be renovating and selling the house as the couple are now needing more care.

We are all for 'live and let live' with these things but then he announced that they have been advised that the best thing to do since the house has been untouched for 40 years is to knock it down and completely rebuild. The work is likely to take 12-18 months.
You can imagine our delight...

I just wanted to ask whether anyone could offer some insight into what sort of questions we should be asking. We are obviously concerned about the extreme noise and dust etc. living next to a building site for the next 18 months but also he mentioned the new build would have a basement, extension, loft conversion etc. and particularly with the basement we are a bit worried about subsidence, interruption of utilities, the risk of damage to our own property and security while the building work leaves us exposed. Also my daughter has exams next year so am obviously worried that she's going to be revising with diggers and drills at full blast next door.

We live in a row of detached houses, each separated by a side passage.

If anyone could recommend a decent website I should look at that would be great. I've done some reading and understand that we have the right to ask for a separate surveyor to review and plans and for our own property to be surveyed so that any damage can be recorded.
Sorry, I probably sound a bit clueless! I guess we're lucky not to have had to deal with this until now!
Any advice very much appreciated!

[whiteagle]

Do they have planning permission - they can't just demolish a house and rebuild another in its place I don't think. You will be able to lodge all your issues with the planning department when they apply.

If it were me and issue of basement digging aside, if I was happy with the look of the new house I wouldn't worry too much about the noise of the build - it is a small space of time in a lifetime. The demolishing will be the noisy bit but will be quick. Once they have the structure up and are working inside the noise it won't be too bad. In the end you won't be living next door to a dump which will improve the street and possibly make your house more desirable. It could be a lot worse - this is a short term manageable noise issue - not persistent noise like neighbours who party or happy dogs!

[TheCrowFromBelow]

Have a look here and speak to your council about it.

www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/commonprojects/demolition/

[elephantfan]

I am sure they have to make a planning application, so get in touch with your local council planning department.

[Collaborate]

They may need to serve a Party Wall Act notice as well, as the foundations on the new build might be lower than your foundations (if within 3 metres of your building), or lower than a line drawn at a 45° angle from the bottom of your foundations if within 6m.

[JukkaSarasti]

Thanks all - will look at those websites and contact council. We are just a bit worried about the extent of the work.

I know it's not forever but the house on the other side just sold with planning permission for a loft conversion and extension so it looks like we're going to be sandwiched between 2 building sites!