Building Surveying - Party Wall Matters

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Building Surveying - Party Wall Matters

Many Inner London property owners have become well versed in dealing with Party Wall Matters as legislation has been in place for 300 plus years. The rest of England and Wales were introduced to such matters on the 1^st July 1997 when The Party Wall etc Act 1996 came into force.

Whether under the Act you are a Building Owner (ie the person or company etc proposing to carry out works which will trigger the Act) or the Adjoining Owner (the person or company etc who's neighbouring property is likely to be affected by the works) you need to have a basic understanding of Party Wall matters to ensure that you obtain specialist advice as and when necessary.

Kirkby & Diamond Party Wall specialists, based in the Milton Keynes office, are well versed in the details of the legislation but a broad scope relative to the triggering of the Act are as follows:-

Section 1 is relative to the proposed erection of a new wall/building on an otherwise virgin boundary line.

Section 2/3 is to works proposed to a party wall, ie a wall between two attached properties. Such works could include the raising, thickening or underpinning of said wall.

Section 6 is relative to any proposed excavation within 3 metres of the Adjoining Owners (A.O.) property and to a depth which is greater than the depth of the A.O.'s foundations, or to proposed piling works within 6 metres of the A.O.'s property and to a prescribed depth.

When the Building Owner (B.O.) proposes to carry out any works that will trigger the act the B.O. must give Notice to the A.O. in advance of carrying out the works.