Neighbours wants to put scaffolding on our property

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Our neighbours are doing a lot of work on their house. As part of this they would like to put scaffolding on our property. This is apparently necessary to access their roof. They will also use it to paint the side of their house at the same time.

Ahead of meeting with them to discuss it, what should we be asking of them to protect ourselves and our property? We would like something in writing and evidence of insurance? Is it the scaffolder’s insurance or the builders’ insurance that is relevant, or both?

This is a big project on a 3 storey listed building, and our property is also listed. We won’t say no to it, but the whole thing is going to be a real nuisance for us for some time. The scaffolding will remove our parking, create lots of noise and dust, and the work takes place outside of dh’s office window.

I am keen to learn from other people’s experiences, particularly bad ones!

Neighbours are fine but we are not close and relationship with their builders are already poor. Work has been going on for months and they have shown such a lack of respect for us so far, and caused a lot of damage in our garden. The neighbours themselves are not living in the property at the moment.

"Thank you for meeting us and we look forward to what you have to say. Before you begin, I'd like to say that we've been very unimpressed by your builders for xyz reasons. Had they been more professional we would be approaching this meeting in a much more accommodating frame of mind. I would also like to discuss our insurance, safeguarding our property from further damage and ensuring that we continue to space to park on our property. We'll need you to set our minds at ease on all of these if we're to consider allowing your builders to have any further access to our property."

Well said

Then there is the Party Wall Surveyor, issues over insurance, listed building consent etc etc

That’s true, but I would have thought anyone could argue that sorting out a roof would need scaffolding!

"Work has been going on for months and they have shown such a lack of respect for us so far, and caused a lot of damage in our garden. The neighbours themselves are not living in the property at the moment."

I already thought you should say no at this point, and still do.

Scaffolding companies have a habit of storing their scaffolding on buildings until they are ready to move it for the next job.

I’d go in with the attitude:
Looking forward to you moving in and happy to give a little bit but we have three main concerns:
(1) Worried about damage. How would we assess - are you insured?
(2) Worried about it being there too long. Want to agree clear finish deadline with enforcement penalties.
(3) Minor inconvenience for a short time is OK, but we don’t want an open ended arrangement and we want the builders to respect our property and ourselves.

What about phoning the council planning office? The fact that your building is listed would make me want to say no to scaffolding anywhere near it. Also talk to your home insurance company. You might not want to fall out with your neighbours, but this is going to cause months of nuisance and will probable damage your property.
It would be a firm no from me.

A cherrypicker has been mentioned

And the neighbours will promise the moon and then behave like wazzocks

It would depend on what is wrong with the roof, how much work etc. a cherry picker would work for a small repair but no good for larger areas or replacement. Also no good for the painting!

Apologies if I wasn’t clear.

A cherry picker would not work for the roof. It’s a job that requires removing all the existing tiles, completely rebuilding the roof, and putting the tiles back.

I wondered about a cherry picker for the render painting job.

I’ve never seen plasterer’s use a cherry picker.
Don’t forget, this is their problem to come up with an acceptable solution to, not yours.
You don’t need to talk to their builders at all.

I think this may have happened to someone else on here a few months ago, using search may find it

I'd say no. Tell them to ask their builders why. They have obviously started as they mean to go on. It's just good old manners to respect other people and their property.
And your husband will be listening to them talking their garbage and making noise all day. Financially and mentally it's going to be bad.

Yeah, good luck with that....

Surely they would need a party wall agreement as it looks like their building is attached to your outbuildings? It's a legal requirement. If so, take the option of appointing your own independent surveyor (they will pay for this as part of the agreement).

I wouldn't allow scaffolding given the history but, looking at your diagram, might accidental damage to your property be more likely to be caused without it?

Meant 🙄

Am I the only person that thinks it’s disgusting that peoples first response these days is “no”? What happened to helping out your neighbours, even if that inconveniences you for a short while?
if they go to court to get permission it will cost both parties money and cause bad feeling that can never be resolved.

all these people who say, just say no, have no idea how the law works.

Have you even bothered to read the thread?!

Tell me that you're someone who hasn't suffered at the hands of neanderthal knuckle dragging scaffolders/builders/roofers engage by an absent neighbour who is never there to see the chaos and damage caused, without telling us!

You've been "that" absent future neighbour havn't you?? The one who hasn't been there on a daily basis to see the chaos, disruption, damage, inconvenience and hear the noise of blaring radios, swearing, etc.

Quite the opposite actually, but typical of the “no” brigade to assume! I allowed my neighbours to put up scaffolding, dig a trench and build an extension up to the boundary. We had a frank meeting with them and the builders before work started. With a bit of give and take on all sides, we had a relatively smooth process. I’m not saying it was easy, but we wanted to get on with our neighbours and help where we could.. that seems in short supply given the answers on here.

It's not just a 'no'.

The op says the builders have already done a lot of damage and shown little respect.

Does this not give you pause for thought?

Absolutely but that’s why they need to have a face to face with builders and owners. It’s likely the owners don’t know about damage etc. as I’ve said before, if they need access they can, and I’m sure will, take the legal route and you cannot stop your neighbours maintaining their property!

Whatever happens, get some rolls of old carpet to cover your outhouse roof to protect against damage

@Lyraloo we get on very well with our next door neighbours - but after the last work they had done on their house, which meant scaffolding front and back, we would very definitely think twice about saying yes again.

For a start, anti-social behaviour from the builders, which included damaging our car by reversing into it with their van, playing loud techno on their radio, on the scaffolding, right outside our bedroom window.

And then they damaged a front wall in the front garden, and broke 5 roof tiles on our new extension at the back, leading to a serious water leak in the kitchen which damaged our paintwork and fused our kitchen lights. Dropped their rubble down our downpipe, blocking it, causing water damage and damp down the back of the house. That little lot cost over £700 to repair.

Not the neighbours' fault, obviously, but we would have to seriously consider another request for scaffolding.

We are having a face to face meeting with the neighbours and their builders tomorrow. My reason for starting the thread was partly to get ideas of our options before doing so,

we won’t be giving them an answer tomorrow, but will listen to what they say and explain our concerns.