Neighbour's extension - no planning permission

[CBurns]

Hi All. Neighbour's in the process of building an extension. We have a shared driveway but are not part of the same semidetached block. They are extending by over 6 feet out from the house at the rear on a single story. It will be flat roof with no windows looking out towards our house. In principle, apart from a summer of building, there's little impact on our property. No light cut out or overlooking issues. They haven't got planning permission though and have asked builder friends to do it for them more cheaply. Am I missing any serious issues for our home with this proposal? They will obviously face massive problems selling it etc which is none of my business - are there any effects on us that I'm not considering? Thanks for any advice.

How close is the extension to your wall? They might need a party wall agreement.

It might fall under the permitted development rules, we're building something similar and have got a certificate of lawfulness (i think) from the local authority.

If you look up on your council website they should have details of what counts as permitted development. You could call them to confirm if need.

Even within permitted development they need to lodge plans with council and have buildings regulations approval.

Yes, it sounds as though they are using permitted development. As far as I know, not all council's list building regulation applications on their portal, so it may be that they have building regs approval.

As far as your house is concerned, as I understand it (we're doing this) if its not the house that you're attached to, then the Party Wall Act is unlikely to apply. I think it applies if you are digging foundations within 3m of a building only if you are going deeper than the existing foundations (unlikely on a single storey) or within 6 metres if you are digging very deep (so you'd have a 45 degree angle). There is quite a useful guide on the gov.co.uk website.

Party Wall isn't an agreement, it's a safeguard for you against your property being damaged either during or after the build process. You don't 'give approval', it has no power to stop anything. The build will happen with or without it being carried out and even if you haven't had a Schedule of Condition done. It's the planning permission element that tells you if its permissible or not. Check the governments planning permission site (can't remember the url), and it gives you the dimensions, locations etc that need or don't need approval. Rules are national, not local, but local rules e.g. issues with land next door, rivers etc might apply....