Council want to build an extension next door, will it devalue our property?

[Jason Arthurs]

I have recently been contacted by our local council who are proposing to put an extension on the house next door (council owned). They are asking us to sign a party wall consent form as the proposed extension will fall on the boundary of our property. I have not seen any evidence of planning applications so far so I have no idea how far this proposed extension is from being built. We have owned the house for seven years and the previous owners purchased under a right-to-buy.

My main concern is that the extension is large, they have sent the

1:50 scale drawings and from this we have extrapolated it will be 11m from the rear wall of the house to the end of the extension. So our party wall will be 11m long and 2.8m high from ground level to the eaves.

Just to add to this, they intend to have a pitched slate roof (in keeping with the existing terrace) and the highest point of the pitch will be 4.6m!

I am worried that the already dingy garden is going to to be plunged into near darkness along with our kitchen and dining room.

Our garden is southwest facing, and this extension is going to be a formidable boundary to the northwest side of the garden, putting the whole of the corner immediately adjacent to our house into the shade for much of the day.

We have good relations with our neighbours and the extension is for the use of their disabled son (it is a bathroom and bedroom all with level access). So we have no intention of refusing permission because they have waited years for this to happen.

Do we have any recourse with the council (compensation) if we feel the extension will devalue our property or affect our future ability to sell the property? Who can determine this for us?

Any input gratefully received, Jason.

[Grunff]

Oh my god! That's *huge*.

So you should be.

If it were me, I wouldn't sign the party wall consent form, and I would object to the scale of the development.

Well, that's very touching, and would mean that anyone objecting is a heartless git, but I'd still object. That is a gigantic extension which will have a large impact on your property.

I'll leave this one to those who know more.

[Peter Ashby]

Agreed, he should at least be able to object to the pitched roof on shading grounds. Our house and all the others with similar extensions have flat roofs.

Maybe you could insist on a flat roof and the installation of light pipes through the building to alleviate the shading.

All techinically feasible.

Peter

[BigWallop]

Your building society legal department should be brought into this one. Or a good solicitor with knowledge of property legislation.

[MJ]

Maybe you could negotiate with the Council to get something done to your own property for your benefit in way of compensation. Something like your own extension, loft conversion, offroad parking- whatever. It won't cost the council that much, using their own workers, so there's no harm in trying.

MJ