Noise from neighbour's attic extension - what to do?

[TheBeesKnee]

My ndn have just finished their loft conversion and moved in. It's clear that they have done absolutely no sound-proofing as last night we could hear them talking and it sounded like they were right on top of us in our attic space.

I live in a terraced house and am really quite stressed about this development. Downstairs we hear both sides through the wall in the living room, there's really no escaping the sound. Upstairs was 'safe' and now it's not.

They're not being a nuisance, it's just everyday living noise, but it does feel very intrusive and overwhelming. And of course they can probably hear us too, which makes me feel on edge. There's no getting away from it.

Downstairs I have put bookcases in the alcoves, but this hasn't helped, it feels like the sound is travelling through the chimney.

Is there anything I can do to help with the noise? Last night we slept with a white noise machine, but I don't think we can keep that up indefinitely.

I've spent the afternoon scrolling through Rightmove but there's not much available for our budget which is semi or detached

Is the chimney active? You could stuff it to slow down the sound travelling. Have you got plenty of soft furnishings and stuff on the walls? Every little helps.
I sympathise though. Noise is awful.

Did they apply for planning permission? Could you ring the council and enquire was it supposed to have sound proofing...?

There’s a few things here. I am assuming that your bedroom is also in the loft and you can hear the noise now where previously there was a void?
It is also possible that one or both sides were not done properly. Some lofts that are built without building regs are boarded up without RSJs or brick walls, so it’s like hearing the noise from an adjacent room in the same house.
I lived in a semi where I could hear the neighbour sneeze (loudly in fairness) but when both houses converted the lofts properly, we couldn’t hear them at all. The world of insulation had moved on a lot since the 1930s!

@Easterbunnyiswindowshopping

Did they apply for planning permission? Could you ring the council and enquire was it supposed to have sound proofing...?

I don't think they did, I checked the planning portal several times when the work was happening and there were no applications or permissions on file.

They would need Building Regulations even under Permitted Development, which includes access, insulation, sound proofing, windows.

@NewHouseNewMe

There’s a few things here. I am assuming that your bedroom is also in the loft and you can hear the noise now where previously there was a void? It is also possible that one or both sides were not done properly. Some lofts that are built without building regs are boarded up without RSJs or brick walls, so it’s like hearing the noise from an adjacent room in the same house. I lived in a semi where I could hear the neighbour sneeze (loudly in fairness) but when both houses converted the lofts properly, we couldn’t hear them at all. The world of insulation had moved on a lot since the 1930s!

No, our bedroom is just the regular room. Our attic space is just an attic, we've ummed and ahhed about converting it, but it obviously costs a lot of money and I'm not convinced that I want to stay here long term.

Wow! I assumed it was loft to loft noise and not loft to bedroom noise. Gosh It sounds like a bodge job. Sorry I have no advice but hope it can be sorted out.

Ring planning and ask about it.
'My neighbours have converted their loft and we're noticing a lot of noise. Could you point me to the planning regs about it, and help me check if their planning is compliant or if there's something we can do to reduce it, please?'

@picklemewalnuts

Ring planning and ask about it. 'My neighbours have converted their loft and we're noticing a lot of noise. Could you point me to the planning regs about it, and help me check if their planning is compliant or if there's something we can do to reduce it, please?'

You're confusing planning permission, which addresses the question of whether it's acceptable in principle to add a room, and building regulations, which addresses the question of how the construction work should be done and whether it's been done as it should.

If the work was permitted development then no planning permission will have been needed.

Whether planning permission was needed or not, the planning department has nothing to do with compliance with building regulations. That's down to am entirely different department at the council: building control.

I would knock on your neighbours door and let them know that you can hear their conversations, and wanted to let them know so they can sort out sound proofing.

They're now having their scaffolding removed this woke me up at 7:30am!

@TheBeesKnee - I know this thread is over 3 years old, but can I ask what happened?

I have the exact same issue. Our neighbour (we live in a terrace) has just finished a conversion without building regs and now I can hear more noise from that floor (creaking footsteps, etc) than from our own loft conversion which was done a few years ago (we got the necessary building regs and planning permission).

Did the council do anything in your case to make your neighbour sort it out?