Party Wall Act

The Party Wall Act 1996 (‘the Act') came into force on the 1st July 1997 throughout England and Wales. If you intend to carry out work which involves one of the following categories:

Work on an existing wall or structure shared with another property (section 2 of the Act)
Building a freestanding wall or a wall of a building up to or astride the boundary with the neighbouring building (section 1 of the Act); or
Excavating near or adjacent to a neighbouring building (section 6 of the Act) You must find out whether that work falls within the Act. If it does, you must notify all affected neighbours in writing informing them of the nature of works and how you intend to ensure their safety during construction works.

The Act is separate from Planning and Building Regulations (not administered by Local Authorities); so you must remember that reaching agreement with your neighbour under the Act does not remove the possible need for planning permission or building regulations approval.

For further details and a copy of the brochure, please view: https://www.gov.uk/browse/housing/planning-permission