Neighbour removing chimney_ventilation problems

[petiteHBB]

Hi,

I would like to get some opinions about the ventilation for the chimney. Many thanks in advance!

Our chimney stack was removed by the neighbours as part of their big project. The proposed plan we received was to remove it to the roof level, cap it and install some vents. After noticing that there are 2 vent tiles on our roof, our neighbour decided to reduce the chimney below the roof line (so the flue is in the loft) and made good the roof (we were not aware of this change until they finished and had to ask them explicitly). The argument from them is that the vent tiles on our roof provide adequate ventilation for both our loft and the remaining chimney (we have one vent in the chimney breast).

We wonder whether this change will cause any potential issues for us (such as damp caused by warm air condensation?) and if it's reasonable to make the point that the change on our chimney should have been informed and discussed before the work was done.

Any comments are much appreciated :)

@PigletJohn could you please give me some advice? Many thanks!

I would contact local Council Building Control and ask them.
A big project is going to need to be signed off but if the chimney works werent part of the original plan, the BC officer might not know to check.
Bring it to their attention

once the fireplaces have been permanently put out of use, it is quiite common to take down old chimneystacks below the rooflike and put the roof over the hole.

this reduces future maintenance and leaks

of course you need to be sure that nobody will ever put smoke up the chimney.

and you want next door's flues to stay on their side of the party wall.

Thanks a lot for the information!

Thank you for the reply :)

@petiteHBB
You should have a party wall agreement for this work! It’s affected your property, by the sound of it, and the chimney is a party wall. Why did you agree to have your chimney removed without a party wall agreement? Or indeed at all? It’s your chimney. Not theirs.

The exact proposals should have been agreed so your property was protected and this would form part of the binding agreement. No subsequent alterations to plans would be allowed. I suspect it’s a bit late now. Building control might be interested but you should not have agreed to this.

@PigletJohn Thanks a lot for the advice!

@TizerorFizz Thanks for the reply. Yes, we have a party wall award which specified the plan. The original plan says our chimney stack will be removed to the roof level then capped with aditional vents. The neighbours made the change without telling us until we saw it when it has been done. so we asked them and they then said they didn't know we have vent tiles on the roof and think it's a better plan...

I would re-engage your party wall surveyor to take a look and act on your behalf if it’s wrong. An agreement is an agreement.,