Neighbour digging out cellar for conversion

[bobbydriver]

I live in a Victorian terraced property and my neighbour seems to be digging out his cellar and tanking it to make it habitable.

The cellars as they stand are about 1.5m from floor to ceiling so I guess they are digging it out so that there is better standing room (he's quite tall) - and I think there are probably building regs on this?

Anyway - it concerns me that someone is excavating so close to my own cellar and I thought they should sserved me notice under the party wall act but they didn't. Am I right? Should I be concerned

 

[chappers]

Yes you should have been served notice under the party wall act.
Now there is no penalty for not serving a notice, but I would be a bit concerned because it is possible they may not know what they are doing.
The idea of the PWA is that you have the oppertunity to find out what works they intend to carry out and how they are going to safegauard your property.
What sort and age property are the houses, if they are say victorian terraces then they will almost certainly need to underpin the party walls and there is a proper way to do this.
I would get on to building control and exspess your concerns and get them to come out and check their working practices.
The PWA doesn't absolve them of their responsibilities in any way and they would still be liable for any damage caused to your property regardless of whether they served the relevant notice or not.
The big question you really want to know is are the builders insured.

 

[Shytalkz]

Put in a quick call to your LABC first thing Monday too, which will at least tell you if there's an application in - which there should be, as it's structural work (no sh*t!).

He will also need planning permission, as it will require alternative means of escape; you might care to ring the LA PD too.

 

[noseall]

you might care to ring the LA PD too.

crikey, the rozzers!

 

[^woody^]

LOL this sounds serious.

This conjures up images of Georgie Micheal singing "Let's go outside" in the basement, or a four coppers beating the hell out of the homeowner with battons.

Might be best to turn a blind eye to the work

 

[Shytalkz]

Most heinous building crime known to man. The retribution for non-compliance will be swift and severe.

 

[jeds]

Internal works do not normally require planning permission - but excavating to form a basement does. I would check with your local planning website to see if an application was submitted.

 

[Diyisfun]

Have a look on your local council web site, (If yours is as good as ours, you can see all planning applications).
It will give you something to do between now & Monday.

 

[XtraRaptor]

Here you go


http://eplanning.derby.gov.uk/acolnet/planningpages02/acolnetcgi.gov



Nick.