New neighbour - digging out basement / building over sewer ?

[sss1978]

Hi I wondered if someone could give some advise.

Just had new neighbours buy next door (Terraced houses)

The previous neighbour had to return because they had left some rubbish they've been told should have been cleared.

The old neighbour knocked because they had to borrow something but has said some things that worry me!

2 things - the first that they new neighbours were planning to put a conservatory on the back. There is a sewer running through the back (Man holes has been concreted over). If it's within permitted development rights, do they still apply to the council? i.e what stops them getting a builder in and just building over it.

The other thing which worries me more is that they want to get the basement, which is underneath the whole house, dug out (between 5.5-6ft head room currently) and be made into a cinema room. The foundations of the house I don't believe go much further than the basement floor and are stepped foundations if that's the right term.

The soil is heavy clay, we have a stream running at the back and water table is very high and is just under the basement floor, and there are 3 piers beneath the supporting wall running up the middle of the house.

I'm worried they will get an inexperienced builder, of which there are many in the area, and do something which affects my house Does anyone need to be informed when digging an existing basement down or can they just go ahead?

 

[tony1851]

The conservatory would not need planning permission if it extended no more than 3m from the rear wall of the house. It would also not need any Building Regulations approval. It would need approval from the utility company if they are building over a public drain, and it is possible they may not get this if it compromises access to the drain.

As regards the basement conversion, that would need a Building Regulations application. The neighbour would also need to apply the provisions of the Party Wall Act, in which case you can engage a surveyor ( at the neighbour's expense) to prepare an award.

 

[sss1978]

Thanks, That's helpful information. Its the basement work which concerns me most, I think there is a reason the 5 houses in the terrace which have the basement have been tanked and not dug deeper.

I will try and speak to them when I see them in the next few days, to get an idea of what they may be planning and take it from there, although I get the feeling they may be awkward neighbours - I hope to be proved wrong!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Are you friendly with the person the other side of the new neighbour? He'd be equally affected by any excavations.