Rain water drainage - neighbours new guttering *UPDATE*

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Hello :)

I asked this on the roofing and guttering board and it was suggested that I ask here too,

My neighbours guttering downpipe broke almost a year ago meaning that a lot of the rain we had over the winter that landed on their roof, ran all down the side of our house. Annoying, but we didn't say anything because we were sure that they would get it fixed soon. . . !

The builders have been round today (and are due back Monday to finish up) and they are having all of their guttering renewed. The downpipe was done today. It's a bit hard to explain exactly, but basically, it does not go into the ground, it kind of curves off at the bottom a few inches away from our fence and points at our fence. . . . And our house is only a metre away from that fence, a metre away from where all their rain water is now being directed!

My husband popped round there when he got home from work this afternoon to ask about it. Apparently there is a soak away under the ground. . . but they admitted that they have got damp in the corner of their house right at that point! He asked why it was pointing towards our house and not theirs, or out away from both houses, they basically didn't know and said they'd have a word with the builders when they come back Monday.

I wonder if anybody knows what the rules/regulations are regarding drainage of rain water? I can't seem to find what I am looking for online. Is it unreasonable of us to at least ask that they point it another way? (Not that it will make much difference though I suppose if there isn't adequate drainage, also I don't think they pointed it the other way because they had a new driveway a few weeks ago and wouldn't want all the rain running down that!)

The last thing we want is to fall out, hence why we never said anything about it being broken for nearly a year, but obviously we don't want our house to be damaged either! ? ?

Thank you :)

*UPDATE*
Well, I got home from work today to find that the guttering downpipe has now been turned around to face outwards towards the road, and a piece of plastic propped up against the fence to stop the water running directly over onto our path. However, it's not a channel/half gutter type thing, it's literally just a flat length of plastic. The rain is still going to soak into the ground, NOT into adequate drainage! Forgetting our house for a second, surely they don't want their own house damaged?! Really don't understand their method of thinking?!
 
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Homeowners are responsible for their own rainwater, meaning that you are rigourously encouraged to drain all storm-water on your own land. This would depend wholly upon ground conditions etc.
If for example it was discovered that all your existing soak-away drains were no longer working then you would be asked to dig a new soak-away complete with new drain runs etc.

It would be seen as a statutory nuisance if the neighbours' rain-water started causing you problems.
 
Thank you for replying, I really appreciate it :)

Do you think I should give the local building control a call if they don't sort it out? Or do I have to wait until it 'actually' causes a nuisance, ie rising damp etc?

I can just see it now, if they keep it the way it is then our side path will be flooded in the next rainfall, and I dread to think what damage it will cause under the houses :(
 
they had a new driveway a few weeks ago
A new driveway built or an existing driveway resurfaced? And if resurfaced was it in such a way that any water drains as it did before? I'm almost positive that you can't simply build (or re-do) a driveway ignoring the drainage. For example I'm pretty sure that if I had a large grass (or pebbled) area I'm not allowed to convert it to a monobloc driveway (or patio for that matter) sloping so that all the water runs onto my neighbours garden, since with the previous way the grass/pebbles would have absorbed most of the water.

Check my info out tho, it came from a guy who extended my driveway about two feet in width, in a previous house a good few years ago.
 
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Thank you for replying alan333 :)

I would go and take a photo if they were out as it's a bit awkward to explain, but, they had an existing driveway resurfaced, and running along the end of the driveway is a drain for, I presume, rain water. However, when the driveway was done, their downpipe was not in place because it came down in a storm about a year ago. It used to go into the ground (I have no idea if it actually went anywhere. . . !) but the builders just brick paved over the hole.

So, there is drainage for rain water that lands on the driveway, but the downpipe hole was paved over. Because of the shape/layout, it would, I think be impossible to actually direct all the water from the downpipe into the drain that runs along the end of their driveway.
 
Thank you for replying alan333 :)

I would go and take a photo if they were out as it's a bit awkward to explain, but, they had an existing driveway resurfaced, and running along the end of the driveway is a drain for, I presume, rain water. However, when the driveway was done, their downpipe was not in place because it came down in a storm about a year ago. It used to go into the ground (I have no idea if it actually went anywhere. . . !) but the builders just brick paved over the hole.

So, there is drainage for rain water that lands on the driveway, but the downpipe hole was paved over. Because of the shape/layout, it would, I think be impossible to actually direct all the water from the downpipe into the drain that runs along the end of their driveway.

So there was a soakaway, but the builders paved over the gulley? Sounds like that needs to be reinstated.

Cheers
Richard
 
Exactly Gerald, that's what we thought! We'll see what is said later on today and take it from there . . .
 

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