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  • The property looks like a flat in a Victorian house that has been carved up, so it would need to have been submitted as a Planning Application rather than Permitted Development.

    Assuming the plans have been approved then I am not aware of anything that you can do as a neighbour to stop works from happening. There are ways you can make life difficult/expensive such as insisting on your own Party Wall Surveyor who your neighbour would need to pick up the bill for, but it really is a fruitless exercise (the Party Wall Act is in place to enable rather than stop works). Saying that, this could become an expensive procedure should all adjoining dwellings/property owners whom an award needs to be agreed with all insist on their own independent surveyors as your legal right.

    If the application is yet to be submitted then the freehold owner could refuse your neighbours plans which would put a stop to the proposed works (I believe).

    The best thing would be to voice your concerns with your neighbour and negotiate that they look to improve the existing acoustic separation/noise issues along with define noisy working hours (weekends, early mornings etc.) I would also insist that a detailed photographic survey is undertaken (this should take place as part of the party wall process), the proposed works include quite a lot of structural works including large steel beams, and this has the potential risk to be quite invasive to your property.

    I imagine the freeholder undertook the works pre-your purchase (?) and I would ask them if the works were signed off by a building control inspector, and if so if you could see a copy of the works including specified buildups. It sounds like the separation between the properties does not comply with elements of the Building Regulations.

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