Party Wall Guidance - Private Roads and Up to definition

[wuptdo]

Hi - I'm looking for some Party Wall Guidance. I'm in the process of buying a house. The area it's in will become a conservation area later this year, stripping it of PD rights. So I need to get an outbuilding/workshop built quick! I'd like to avoid negotiating a party wall agreement, as the neighbouring property is currently unoccupied and I wouldn't even know where to start or who to contact.

The place I want to build the outbuilding is on the boundary on 3 sides - a playing field, a neighbouring garden and a shared private road (I believe the unoccupied neighbour 'owns' the private road land, but I have access to it).

The neighbouring property is too far away for the 3m/6m rule to come into play.


So a few key questions:

• Looking online - a party wall notice/agreement is required if a building/wall is built on or up to the boundary. How far would I have to build from the boundary to be not defined as 'up to'?
• As per (annoyingly the 'free trial' is only applicable to business' not individuals) - Does a private road 'foundation' class as an applicable party wall structure i.e. for 3m/6m rules?

Thanks in advance

 

[^woody^]

1. Whatever the smallest markings on your tape are.
2. No.

 

[jj4091]

Personally I would build as far away from the neighbours boundary as possible especially when you do not know who they are. It may save you a lot of time, stress & money later on if they start any sort of legal proceedings against you because of confusion over exactly where the boundary is.

 

[wuptdo]

^woody^ - thanks for the succinct answer.

jj4091 - thanks for the thought - as far as possible isn't really an option - the reality of houses around here is they don't have much land (even relatives have said to me - its the countryside - you'll have loads of land!). A lot of the 18th century houses have no garden at all front or back. There is currently a fence which sits on the boundary - there is an option to build butt up to this - so there's no arguments. Along with photographic evidence before and after.

Thanks again

 

[thomp1983]

You can't build the walls right upto the fence as the guttering and fascias aren't allowed to hang over the boundary, also if you built right to the fence how will you perform any future maintenance on that wall as the neighbour will be within his rights to say you can't enter his land.

Leaving half a meter either side would be prudent.