BARKING
THE PARTY WALL PEOPLE
We specialise in implementing the Party Wall Etc. Act 1996 in the Barking area. We prepare and serve party wall notices,
carry out schedules of condition and if required, serve party wall awards (sometimes known party wall agreements).
Our 100% 5-star rating on Google speaks to our professional, personal and expert service
​We hold membership with the Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors (FPWS) and the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE)
We carry Public Liability and Professional Indemnity Insurance.
​The Party Wall People are based in Chelmsford, Essex and travel to client’s premises all over the southeast of England.
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If you have any questions about the party wall act, please feel free to contact us for a free, no obligation consultation.
WHAT IS THE PARTY WALL ACT?
The Party Wall Etc. Act 1996 sets out to protect property owners' interests when a project is required, while at the same time ensuring that the project can continue in a timely manner.
The Act requires that when an owner of a property carries out certain works such as digging a foundation within 3m of their neighbour's property, removing a chimney from a party wall, cutting into a party wall for steelwork or building a new wall on the boundary (line of junction), they inform all affected neighbours of their intention by serving the correct notices.
BARKING: A SURVEYOR'S VIEW
This area is defined by its industrial heritage and the massive post-war housing drive, most notably the Becontree Estate. The vernacular here consists largely of brick-built, 1920s-1930s terraced and semi-detached "cottage style" homes. Because these houses were built in uniform blocks, a single extension can affect multiple "Adjoining Owners." We often see "flying freeholds" or complex layouts where a simple kitchen extension triggers multiple notices because of the proximity of several boundaries.
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The geology is influenced by the Thames, consisting of Alluvium and River Terrace Deposits (silt, clay, and gravel). These "soft" deposits can be tricky; they don't always offer the same predictable load-bearing capacity as the clay hills further north.
For homeowners, this often means that traditional trench foundations aren't enough, and raft foundations or mini-piling are required. In the event that a party wall award is needed, we would recommend that a suitable Method Statement for such piling is robust enough to protect the relatively light foundations of the original 1930s neighbouring homes.
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Reach out now for free, local and friendly advice on the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.
