Hi, hoping for some good advice. We've lived in a three bed flat (lower ground floor) for years which was next to a three bed interwar house. The neighbouring house got sold a few months ago. They did not come by and say hello which made us a bit nervous - we live in the lower ground floor of a property which is otherwise tenanted by our lovely neighbours who are housing association tenants. They were very polite and nice to neighbours on the other side....
They put in one planning permission for an extension which would completely block light to one of the elevations to our flat. We objected through the formal channels and it was rejected, but on the grounds that all the things they planned to do (ie roof terrace looking into everyone's garden). They resubmitted the application, still not having done a right of light survey to take into account the impact on our flat or the neighbour on the other side. The decision has not yet been made but we are trying to think about how to stymie this given the impact on us and our home, including making the most of the party wall agreement regulations.
I don't want to be difficult (usually) but these people have moved in and are doing everything they can to maximise their own position and we need to fight back in a way which is both legal and likely to cause them sufficiently lengthy delays which will make them rethink their investment plans into our next door house. What do you recommend?
(PS, before I come across as too much of an a*hole on this, we were here first, they are actively trying to make our house less liveable and they haven't even had the kindness to come and say hello and explain their plans. When asked by the neighbour on the other side why they hadn't, they said that as the building we lived in was occupied by social tenants on the upper three floors they didn't think they needed to talk to the freeholder, and didn't think talking to us (leaseholders) was worth the bother)