Neighbour's shed causing damp through party wall

[Jasmine12]

We have a ground floor flat which was treated for damp four years ago. Some patches of damp have appeared at skirting level on our lounge wall.

On the other side of our lounge wall - which is a boundary separating us from the end of next door's garden - our neighbour has erected a wooden shed which stands a few inches away from the wall.

The roof is pitched so that rain runs off towards the wall rather than away. There is no form of guttering.

The surveyor said the damp has appeared around power sockets because we didn't use the right plaster to make good after the flat was rewired. However, he also said the shed a) funnels rain water towards the wall b) shades it from the sun so it cannot dry out and c) this structure should ideally stand a metre away from the boundary.

I just called Building Control who told me it was a civil matter - is this true? Any suggestions as to how to approach the neighbour? I'd like to know if I have any back up in terms of building regulations first.
Thanks.

 

[^woody^]

Statutory Nuisance. Contact your council's environmental health department, not building regs.

 

[Jasmine12]

Thanks Woody. On what grounds do you think Environmental Health would help out with this? I don't want to get fobbed off!

 

[^woody^]

Statutory Nuisance

grounds

 

[mattylad]

Before going the council route, discuss it with the neighbour.

A length of guttering and downspout will only set someone back under £30 and take 1/2 hr to fit. It would solve the problem on your wall and move the water back onto their land.
Have they got a drain nearby that they can feed the water into?

As much as I'd try to get them to do it, pay for the guttering - I'd be prepared to get the bits off Freegle and do it myself as that would be far less hassle than going the council route and a damn sight quicker.

 

[Jasmine12]

Thanks Mattylad - I was going to approach the neighbour this week. It's also raining constantly today so we've got to do something.