Adding more storeys to a block of flats

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My son and his partner are both junior doctors. They have a mortgage on a leasehold property in London. They have just received a letter informing them that the owner of the freehold is proposing to add another 1 or 2 storeys to their block of 12 flats.
I can't imagine how they will be able to sleep through the noise. Also would it be possible to live in the apartment while a new roof is added?
There is as yet no planning or building regs applied for. Any suggestions would be welcome.

Gear up to oppose the planning application. Is the freeholder council?

I'd be good to get all the neighbours on board and seek legal advice collectively to spread the cost and show the freeholder that you mean business. And work out if you just don't want any more storeys or perhaps would be open to them in exchange for compensation, money or doing up communal areas etc.

I think the leaseholders would also be able to force the sale of the freehold to them thus stopping any such plans.

I think the leaseholders would also be able to force the sale of the freehold to them thus stopping any such plans.

Or to do it themselves....

What is the relevance of them being doctors? It's a bit Hyacinth Bucket😆

I think the doctor reference is because they’re likely to be working shifts/unsociable hours and need to sleep when the potential building work is going on above their heads!

Yy to getting together with the other leaseholders to suss out options and work as one to block anything they collectively oppose.

Yes, gear up to oppose this!!

Sounds like madness.

No, the council doesn't own the lease.
They are trying to get all the neighbours on board but several have not responded and are only tenants and it's proving difficult to track down their landlords.
I think buying the lease might be the best option but at least 50% of the leaseholders have to agree to buy. Does anyone know whether the right to buy out a lease is affected by a pending planning application?
I'm very worried that doctors who have to work nights will be able to sleep during the day when the building work will obviously take place. Would not the possibility, no matter how remote, that patients could be put at risk become the responsibility of the building contractors?

"Would not the possibility, no matter how remote, that patients could be put at risk become the responsibility of the building contractors"

Get real. They are doctors, doctors are people, not divine beings!

Buying the freehold is a great approach to gain control if they can. If a planning application is put in then this is a great guide to objecting:
planninglawblog.blogspot.com/p/how-to-object.html?m=1

My dp has built a new storey on top of a block of flats before... very unobtrusive to the flats below... buying the freehold would be an option but if the planning permission goes through first then it will cost a hell of a lot more than without... if the block is to go over 4 storeys then all sorts of new fire regs come in so they probably wouldnt go for higher than that.
Not much you can do tbh and councils look very favourably on these sort of developments, and very rarely take complaints into account if it helps get to their building targets

The flats are made as prefab and simply lifted into place by crane. It’s not massively disruptive to the rest of the flats (but tends to piss off whoever previously had the ‘penthouse’).

I’d sell very very fast before a planning application is made

I wonder if the building/foundations can take the extra weight? Who works that out?

Lots of good thoughts on this thread, agree with all of the above. This happened to a former colleague but we are no longer in touch so unsure what happened.

Agree it's likely to go through, with conditions. Local authorities are legally obliged to increase dwellings and they like it when they get a freebie like this (no cost to them and no increase in development footprint).

You might be able to identify the owners of the tenanted flats by paying £3 to access the land registry and see the registered owner. It only gives you a name but that may be enough to find them on linkedin. Bit of a gamble but it's only £3 per apartment.

You need to badger the council and the freeholder to try and ensure that:

-New bin storage and parking will be added
-there will be no reduction of the communal areas to facilitate the new flats I.E. They're not proposing to carve a chunk out of the second floor hallway to build an access staircase for the new floor(s) above
-the new flats will join and contribute to the existing sinking fund and service charge i.e. their addition will in theory reduce SC for all other units. Make sure owner isn't setting them up separately in their own 'fund' and simply paying the existing kitty an access contribution for use of the lobby etc.

• be clear on what they're adding. If it's just more of the same that's easier to live with than if they're adding luxury units on top of standard units, which would make the old units the aesthetic and financial equivalent of the 'poor door'

-make sure newl units won't have any facilities e.g. Roof garden etc that old units don't have.

Tbh depending on the circumstances I might be able to live with this UNLESS the new flats would mean a lift needed to be installed. Lifts are extortionate to maintain and break down constantly. If a lift is required then scrap what i said above about merging the service charges - you want the development to go ahead on the condition that it's a new and separate development with no shared facilities.

Many thanks for all your contributions. There were a number of points raised we are definitely looking into.

Structural Engineers look at the foundations and loading on the existing building. The building might need strengthening. It’s not just a case of putting pre fab buildings on top. It is looked on favourably because it provides extra homes towards the government’s target. Building land is so expensive it can make sense to do this.