Neighbours building plans

[Pippippip2024]

we have new neighbours. Haven’t met them yet (they’ve not moved in but we’ve seen them visiting for an hour or so and didn’t want to bother them. We just received plans from the council for extensive building works, demolitions and extensions and new outside buildings. All this is fine, but I suppose I’m a bit sad that they haven’t come around and introduced themselves and let us know about the planned work. It’s something I would have done to be courteous. I also work from home and have a one year old that naps in the day so it will be a lot for me noise wise. What do you think I should do? Do you think I should write them a note and ask for timescales and schedules (so I can make alternative arrangements to be out the house when it’s noisy) or do you think I just leave them to it and put up with it.

Go round and introduce yourself and discuss.

I would but not seen them for about a month, they haven’t moved in and I only saw them visiting once for an hour. guessing they won’t move in until building work has finished.

That sounds like it could be tough while WFH and baby having naps!

So is the building work going ahead or are they at the seeking planning permission stage?

I wonder whether you could reply to the council to get info on timescales etc? I get you don’t want to come across as a problematic neighbour from the very beginning but it is fine to want more information IMO as this is likely to impact you and your right to peaceful living (or whatever the correct terminology is) quite significantly.

I don’t think not coming round to tell you of their plans is an issue. My neighbours who I’ve known for ten years and am friendly with didn’t even tell me about theirs!

Thank you for your reply. It’s just at the planning stage. I’ve looked at the plans and they look great, no problems at all but I’m just obviously worried about noise, dust etc. I will call the council and ask them thank you

I suppose I’m also worried as I’ve lived next door to a family who did the same years ago. They had building work done for a year while not living there and it was horrible, they didn’t introduce themselves (never saw them). I had no way to tell them how awful the builders were being. Builders blasting radios everyday from 7:30am, smoky bombfires burning god know what, climbing on my roof without permission and causing cracks in ceiling (flat roof). Walls and part of a roof falling on my property, shouting swearing, intimidation.

I'm having a similar problem. Planning not agreed yet and I have requested a party wall notice agreement which should set out times of work etc. Not had one yet. It's not great to start out on this footing and not very neighbourly in my opinion.

I feel guilty now. We had our (solid, brick built) conservatory put up before we moved in and I didn't discuss it with our neighbours. We also went round every evening and weekend to clean (it was filthy) decorate and put flat pack furniture together. The house was empty and any house must have echoed. Thinking back, we probably weren't that noisy apart from the flat pack furniture, but it was in the evening. I'm very sorry neighbours!

@snowsjoke oh sorry you’re in the same boat. One building will be built adjacent (or attached I’m not sure) to my garden wall - can I request the same?

Don't feel guilty . That's normal noise for people living into a new home. Extensions new kitchens or what ever are common to. If its in working ours/ noise permitted hours. Then that's life people are nkt thinking oh in gonna get a new Extension to piss the neighbours off. And I bet a good fee people on the street have had stuff done .possibly including direct neighbours.

That’s no reason to refuse planning, though. There are rules about when construction workers are allowed to work, but that’s not a planning issue. And the council won’t know about timescales, which will be down to builders’ schedules, weather etc.

You won't get timescales until they have pp. They have several years to act upon it.

I suppose the unknown can be stressful, I bit of information makes a huge difference

@Pippippip2024, a party wall notice agreement is a legal requirement apparently depending on the work taking place.

Agreed. Yes sorry didn’t mean there are grounds to refuse planning permission, just wanted to understand what the current status was.

And I suggested getting in touch with council as that is who the OP has heard from and she hasn’t seen much of the new neighbours yet so assume she doesn’t have their contact details.

At this stage I don't think they'll know too much about time schedules - will need to get quotes on based on plans, depends when builder they want to use is available, there can be building delays due to lack of materials, late deliveries.

Like you say, I'd be a bit disappointed they haven't been around to say hello and briefly mention their plans in the hope of keeping channels open in the future and reassure you. We're all different though, but that's what I'd have done.

I think if they’ve only been there an hour some time ago it’s understandable meeting the neighbours wasn’t right up there on a list of priorities.

@Pippippip2024 when our adjoining neighbours put in planning permission for an extension we received the usual letter and, although we had no objections to the work, we did reply listing points of concern and asking for some consideration. As you are unlikely to see your new neighbours, this might be a way of contacting them.

I think sometimes people having work done forget how much it affects their neighbours; months and months of noise and intrusion with nothing to show at the end of it!

I can’t imagine people not introducing themselves to neighbours when they buy a house.
When we were moving in I put a note in the neighbours doors warning them what time our removal lorry was arriving and telling them to let me know if there were any problems with parking etc.
It’s just good manners.

3 weeks later we had an afternoon tea and invited all the new neighbours to meet us. We live in a small cul de sac.

I can, I have a neighbour who has signficant social anxiety, and I also have a divorced male friend where even though I suggested it, he felt really awkward and didn’t.

If they are building up to the boundary, they will need to come to a party wall agreement with you. You can make that process easier or harder for them. E.g. I wouldn’t be in a rush to reply to letters from someone who doesn’t come and speak to me. Or to minimise costs.

Do read up on your rights and consider what you might want to negotiate.

It is obviously going to be an inconvenience OP. I would try to open a friendly dialogue with them. Be aware though that noise etc during building works is not a planning consideration.

Given the extensive sound of the works they will likely need to contact you with a party wall notice. This needs to be done at least 3 months before works start.

At that point they may start to get more friendly. Party wall costs are a fair bit and they’ll be looking to keep these costs down - and the costs will partly depend on you.

FYI with a party wall notice there are three options: no party wall surveyor, a single joint surveyor or each neighbour appoints own surveyor. The choice is up to you but they have to pay all the costs. (My advice: if they are nice/known people, agree to joint surveyor but you choose who to appoint; if they are not, get your own independent surveyor).

They won't know schedules as they generally secure planning permission then tender or look for quotes.

I don't think they have done anything wrong. I wouldn't consider approaching neighbours until I had a schedule and agreed details of the build with the appointed builder.🤷‍♀️

@minipie, thanks. Our new neighbour has not served any kind of notice yet. They're demolishing an existing conservatory and building a single infill extension (side return on a Victorian house) . I don't object to the work but need to know how it will affect my property ie, in the 5 minutes I met her as she was locked out and had to come through our back gate, she said they wanted to use our 'footings'. I don't want to allow this as I'm not sure how structurally sound our own extension is (built many years before we bought our property).

Also very worried about noise as we're mid Victorian terraces. They had someone in knocking down an internal wall on Sunday morning. I was in the garden and the noise was awful plus the poster and clock I had on the adjacent wall had fallen off and smashed so I asked him to stop as I was worried about damage.

I don't know how to enforce the party wall notice. I'd rather appoint my own surveyor.