Building site plans to block 4 windows and create security risk

[Post2christine]

Hi There,
I wonder if anyone out there has any advice or can point me in the right direction. We have a lease on a ground floor former council flat. The council won a contentious application to build 2 new flats that will join onto our flat. We're at the stage now when we've appointed a party wall surveyor and the council has the building contractor in place. The council project team and site building contractor has presented plans for accessing the building site. It's a tricky site to access however the plans set out block off our kitchen window, bathroom window, bedroom 1 window and bedroom 2 window. .... For nearly a year. While some light could make it through, it would be dark. Also we have serious security concerns as the proposal creates a dead, enclosed space where the windows could be accessed unobserved.

I wonder what regulations/guidelines there might be ( if any) that the council or contractors would need to observe ......

Any advice very much appreciated ....

This sounds horrendous. Could you contact your local councillor to get their support in stopping this?

Do your windows have a right to light and a right to open?

If the siting of the access is something for the party wall agreement this is something you need to get your surveyor on to. That is what they're there for. You should be allowed/able to open thees windows for safe ventilation.

If it goes ahead you should also agree reasonable compensation for extra electricity use.

Thanks for your advice here VegasIsBest, really appreciate your guidance. Unfortunately, it's the same very council lot that gave approval to the build in the first place and ignored over 60 objections from people directly affected and the wider public. Council are playing judge and jury in this case ..... Our local councillor didn't even raise an eyebrow during the committee hearing to the build. We're feeling very let down by local council but you're right - this option should definitely be part of the mix. Thanks also to Collaborate and cdtaylornats - I'll definitely bring these questions into the meeting we have scheduled with the project team lead and the contractor. I think they'll opt for fenses with mesh covering, which will allow some light through. As for the right to open, I think this could be really be interesting. Presumably, right to open would include issues like dust? One additional piece is that the proposal sets that we should have our access to the property re-routed so we'll have to go through the neighbouring park. I often work early or come back late so the thought of accessing our home through the park when it's dark and isolated is really worrying .... Woman have been attacked in the park recently. Safety also extends to emergency services. If we're marooned by a building site and access is only available via a park pathway then we have concerns for emergency services access.... Postal and delivery access is also a question. I wonder about any official guidelines or bodies with juristriction on such issues. What lengths do the project team or building contractor have to go to to help ensure our safety and duty of care for our well being or security.