Chimney and party wall agreement

[StainlessSteelCat]

We are thinking about having work done to our kitchen chimney breast in a 1930s semi. It's on the side of the house that is shared with next door, but the chimney itself is not shared. We want to create what would effectively be a really large fireplace to put a range style cooker in, and hopefully venting the cooker hood up the chimney. I assume this would require a lintel of some sort to re-stabilise the rest of the chimney.

What I'm wondering is if we would need to get a party wall agreement with the neighbours, or if we should even if it's not strictly required.

Any advice? Thanks

If you've got floorplans, I'd take them to a surveyor to find out - it's really unusual for chimney breasts not to be shared in those sorts of houses, do you mean that they have already removed the part on their side? I think you really need proper advice but it shouldn't cost too much to get an initial opinion.

As far as I know the flues are not shared- had liner checked for wood burner on another chimney a few years back - but will ask a surveyor to be sure about the chimneys. Thanks for the advice.

I think the flues not being shared doesn't necessarily mean that the chimney breast isn't structurally integral to the one on the other side.

Thanks lala, you're probably right. I was thinking that as they seem to be completely separate they actually might be ... an assumption best not made by someone with no knowledge of how buildings actually work! Will just have to dip into the kitchen fund and pay up, it'll be cheaper than rebuilding 2 houses