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Exactly the encouragement I needed. I'll just tell the story:
Our neighbours have built a loft extension. We are in Lewisham. The extension should be under permitted development, and they did the right thing and submitted plans to Lewisham and obtained a Permitted Develoment Certificate before commencing the work.
The plans show a 300mm gap between the centre line of our party wall and the external face of the dormer. As shown in the attached excerpt. I like this 300mm gap. It means we can have a dormer with a 300mm gap too, and both external faces can have work completed in the future.
We signed a party wall agreement, and we insisted they engage a surveyor to check before and after the work to mediate. This was mainly because we have just plastered the wall and ceiling where they were installing 6x steels in the party wall for the new floor, and we didn't want to have to fill loads of cracks at our own expense immediately after decorating.
They have now built the dormer, and they have accidentally/deliberately built the external face right up to the centre line. (The roof may or may not overhang a few mm.) If the roof does not over hang, I believe this is still covered under permitted development, which I hate, but cannot complain about.
However they also took up tiles on our roof and flashed around our chimney. Very clearly on our side of the roof. They did not have permission to do this, and I don't think it should be covered under the party wall agreement.
Is there any way to complain about this? Am I being petty? As I say, I do like these people. What will I do if the flashing round the chimney starts leaking in a year or two?
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Psy
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The drawing excerpt is not particularly clear; can you post the whole thing? The wording around the 300mm setback is pretty unambiguous, for sure.
Have you spoken to the neighbours and their builders about this? That would be my first port of call. The neighbours themselves may not even be aware that the builders have done this.
It is a bit of a pisstake though, I would be miffed.
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It looks to me like a classic builders' mistake. Did the architect (assuming there was one--yes, there was, I've just spotted the name of the firm) do proper site supervision? Undoubtedly not intentional, and a cock-up, and you're right to be concerned. Ironically, they have themselves provided the evidence by applying for a Lawful Development Certificate. It's a difficult conversation to have, to be sure, but ultimately it'll be down to their architects and builders to put right.
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Our neighbours did exactly this with their dormer this in Catford (but without the PWA and got the steels in before I realised what was going on, LOL!). Lewisham Council said enforcement was a civil matter and left me to it. I was unimpressed.
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I think you’ll be onto plums here personally, as long as the work is done right and looking at the lead work they have done a decent job working it into the chimney , if it’s not actually caused any issues (leaks etc), I think you’ll only give yourself a headache and it will sour your relationship with the neighbour.
Also look on the bright side if you do the same you’ll be essentially able to work off there’s so I’d say a bit of come and go in this situation!
ectoplasmosis
Oliver Schick
6pt
konastab01
Pics or gtfo