Chimney Removal with a twist

[ShezK]

Hi all
First post, so please excuse any mistakes. Really hoping someone can help.

I live in a 3 bed mid terrace council house and want to remove 2 x chimney breasts from either side of the property. Unfortunately its looking like the most paper driven exercise for what i see as a fairly straightforward job.

The process i have been told to follow by the council is:
• Appoint a joint building surveyor to produce a “condition report and invoke the party wall act” with both neighbours (Quoted ~£1k)
• Appoint a structural engineer to “prepare a survey of the existing and formulate a proposal for the associated construction works” - £TBC
• Forward all documents for consideration by the organisation that manages the property on behalf of the council
• Once approval is granted, send forms to Building Regulations (£200)
• ONLY THEN should I start getting builders quotes.

Now is it me, or do these fees seem Stratospherically high??? Has anyone on here followed a similar process? Is their a cheaper way? Can any recommend a structural engineer in the Middlesex area?

Any and all advice appreciated!!

 

[Shytalkz]

Welcome to the world of the Party Wall etc Act 1996.

You can serve notice on the neighbours yourself; there is no set format, but there is certain information that you will need to give in the notice, otherwise it's not valid. This includes details of what you're intending to do and how you're intending to do it. Thus you will need the SE first. Allow say £450 plus VAT for a visit, quick measure up, calcs and a sketch detail or two.

If your neighbours are quite sensible, see that there is an SE involved and thus not much risk of anything happening to their property, they should give the ok to your notice, in which case, job done, PWeA requirements satisfied.

If they don't reply within 14 days, or don't agree, then there is a dissent and you're into the money-for-old-rope section where a PW surveyor/s is/are appointed to look at the proposals and draw up an award giving you the ok to get on with it.

The SE *can* also act as your PWS, but it's difficult to wear two different hats and is not advisable; one got clobbered by the IStreuctE disciplinary committee last year for just such a situation, so most are likely to be mindful of that.

Someone else from the same SE company would be a tad more remote, but it's still not the best idea. Thus, invariably, the PWS/s is/are building surveyors who know less about the structural implications of the work than the SE who designed it in the first place.

It's up to your neighbours if they agree to a joint PWS. Whatever they choose, the bills all come your way. Great huh?

The other way is to completely ignore the Act and its requirements, get the work done quickly so that by the time the neighbours react there's nothing to get an injunction about. There is no retrospective remedy available to the neighbours for your non-compliance. Tee hee.

Of course, so that Ban All Sheds doesn't start on me again, I have to say that this is not a course of action that I could in any way endorse, oh no sirree, no way, no how.

 

[mattylad]

When you say it is a "council house" do you mean an "ex council house" I.E - you now own it?

 

[ColJack]

When you say it is a "council house" do you mean an "ex council house" I.E - you now own it?

• Forward all documents for consideration by the organisation that manages the property on behalf of the council

 

[Shytalkz]

Missed that you have an LA property. Notice needs to go to the LA itself. You can still do these notices yourself and save some money, at least in the first instance.

Plenty of guff and advice here.

 

[^woody^]

If the OP is a tenant, then the first (and essential) permission would be that required from the landlord

I don't agree with the OP's list of actions with regards to "Forward all documents for consideration by the organisation that manages the property"

All that needs to be done is to request permission for the alterations and state that "all work will be in accordance with any statutory requirements". The landlord should only need to agree the principle of the alteration and the technical aspects are immaterial to the granting of their permission.

If the neighbour is also a tenant, then any party wall notice is served on the landlord (ie the housing section or the management company)

The OP can choose to ignore the PWA and not serve notice, and the landlord can not insist on notice being served as part of the granting of permission to alter. In fact, if the all the properties are council owned, then there should be no need to use the PWA as essentially the council can not serve notice on itself.

Does steelwork need to go in to support any remaining wall? If not, such as a complete removal, then there may be no need for an SE to design anything

IMO, I would

Get the landlords permission in principle, and in writing.
Engage someone suitable to design any supports, and serve notice under the PWA (if you want to)
Get quotes for building work
Use a building notice for building regs