The fight to save the DVLR

[Dr. Bond of the DVLR]

Well, some very sad news has befallen me. Some builders bought the house that is behind our garden and have been improving it. Now a large hoo har has arisen as they want to knock down the large wall at the end of my garden in order to build an extension to the house. This would mean that all the soil from my end flowerbed (the undeveloped one as of yet) will be lost and probably filled with rubble. I am going to loose a lovely old wall and half of my railway area in one fell swoop.

I know it won't do much but anyone wanting to petition against it can register their concerns and poll.
The best solution (for me) is they leave the wall where it is, they have breached many planning laws already so I am hoping this is what happens. The next best option is that they are forced to rebuild and refill the flowerbed and rebuild the old wall into its original state.

-sigh- just when it was going so well...

[bessytractor]

surely you can just tell them to do one and leave the wall?

[Sammmm]

Give'em HELL!!!! ..and if you find another way of buliding that are of the railway you could always get your parents to 'sell' thhem the wall.. and buy yourself a new engine

[90733]

Surely they just can't go knock down the wall if it 'part' of your garden, thats like me taking next doors fence down 'cos i want to extend my railway!

[Narrow Minded]

Who's wall is it?

If it's yours they can't touch it without your agreement.
If it's theirs, they still have an obligation to preserve your property (the flowerbed) while carrying out any work.

Do your research, find out the facts and then stand up to 'em. Developed railway there or not, I can't stand it when people just think they can ride roughshod over you It seems to happen too much these days!

[plewsy2105]

surely you can just tell them to do one and leave the wall?

i second this motion  give em hell if its your wall there is &*^# all they can do

[Busted Bricks]

Developed railway there or not, I can't stand it when people just think they can ride roughshod over you  It seems to happen too much these days!

Probably learned it from the Government, both the old one and the current one. Just look at how they treat small businesses.

Some friends of ours had a neighbor who built an extension without planning permission. They complained and eventually the council made the neighbor demolish the extension. It took several years before it finally happened. Make sure you get EVERYTHING in writing and likewise make any complaints in writing. Send everything registered so you have proof of delivery.

[Dr. Bond of the DVLR]

It would be nice to just be able to say no but unfortunately there is no clear evidence that the wall is ours specifically. If it was ours the wall would be listed as is our house, the most we can really do is contest on the party wall act, this doesn't mean we have the right to just say NO. It just gives us more control over how they demolish the wall. We can also impose some restrictions or conditions but that's it. Its not as if its a small wall either at nearly 2 stories high...
It is looking very likely that I will loose the bed along the end.
The horrid thing about it is that until I know either way I can not plan to develop or develop that end of the garden at all.
dear...

[Sir Clothem Cap]

I think there should be a preservation order on the DVLR. builders are not know for there care of next doors garden so be careful about whats in the brick dropping area.

[MuzTrem]

Have they explained why demolition of the wall is neccessary?

[Dr. Bond of the DVLR]

As they are building an extension onto it and you can't build an extension onto an old wall. They will have to demolish it, dig foundations and build up the building wall again...

[plewsy2105]

builders are not know for there care of next doors garden so be careful about whats in the brick dropping area.

or 7 million pound war ships for that matter we had some contractors doing some repair work on a warehouse which was next to the ship i currently serve on's berth (its a type 23 frigate btw ) the builders were supposed to be throwing the old bricks down a tube and into a skip only they were not throwing then down the tube in other worlds they were trying to throw them in the skip from 10 storeys up not all of them went in the skip quite a few hit the ship breaking windows on the bridge among other things causing several thousand pounds worth of damage we were not amused

Anyway back on topic i hope some sort of agreement can be reached about the wall which benefits you

plewsy2105

[Narrow Minded]

They will have to demolish it, dig foundations and build up the building wall again...

........and "make good" any damage caused to your garden.!

Take loads of photo's of the area before they start and make it quite clear that you expect it to be restored to at least that standard when they've finished!

[pauly]

Thankfully my family owns all the boundries around my home, but if I was in your situation Id put something pointy on a stick, take a chair outside and sit on it with the stick at hand all night and day

[Matt]

builders are not know for there care of next doors garden so be careful about whats in the brick dropping area.

or 7 million pound war ships for that matter we had some contractors doing some repair work on a warehouse which was next to the ship i currently serve on's berth (its a type 23 frigate btw ) the builders were supposed to be throwing the old bricks down a tube and into a skip only they were not throwing then down the tube in other worlds they were trying to throw them in the skip from 10 storeys up not all of them went in the skip quite a few hit the ship breaking windows on the bridge among other things causing several thousand pounds worth of damage we were not amused

Anyway back on topic i hope some sort of agreement can be reached about the wall which benefits you

plewsy2105

I didn't know you were Navy?

Getting on topic, I agree, people like these have no right to just ruin other peoples property in the search of financial gain.

[DVT Dweller]

Im not 100% on all this as I was the spark for a building company but tended not to get involved with that side of things. To be fair my old boss stuck to the letter of the law but there where a few corrupt people out there. If they are breaking laws already one of 2 things is going on......
1, They are chancing it to see what happens.
2,They have friends in high places.

1st thing get all apeals down on paper, send anything to the planning deparment at your local coucil and make sure its recorded delivery.

2, lots of photos and detailed descriptions of the area they want to alter, to be honest it will be needed for claims when they dont put it back as it was if nothing else.

3, did you say your house is listed? Im not sure whos controls that kind of thing but it might be wort a letter to tip off who ever. I possibly wont do anything but it never hurts to try and it might make the builders think twice if they have to start fighting against it.

Will the new extension reduce the privacy of your garden? Or the amount of sun light it normaly recives?
Who does the land registry and deeds show the wall as belonging too?

Its worth causing as many arguments over it as you can. The more time and cost for the builders the less profit and the less attractive the job is....

[SillyBilly]

Why are you going to loose the bed? As others have mentioned you have the right to have it back exactly as it was.

[rjt]

As they are building an extension onto it and you can't build an extension onto an old wall. They will have to demolish it, dig foundations and build up the building wall again...

Actually not quite as simple as that....aside from the 'Planning' issues, In order to get 'Building Regulation Approval' they will need to prove that the existing wall will carry it's current PLUS any new load to be applied.
The simple, easy, cheapest, way is as you say - Knock it down and build a new one;
BUT it doesn't necessarily end there, there are other ways, it all depends.........
Chances are though if your house is 'listed' that wall probably is too (by reason of 'association' with your house- BACK to Planning issues, where things get difficult. Too difficult to go into here so if you are still struggling PM me with a 'phone number and I'll ring you and have a chat.

By the way I worked in Architecture for 40+ years so I have a pretty good idea of what I'm talking about.
"Been there, done that, got the Tshirt" so to speak.

All the best,

[Dr. Bond of the DVLR]

The reason why I may have to loose the bed is because they are building a room next to our garden basically which would require a damp course. This means that I would not be able to have the bed against the wall...
The Parents and I are doing all we can, unfortunately it would appear that the builders do have friends in high places as all we have done so far has been useless.
The other problem is is that because the wall is so high already the extension they are building will only be a foot taller than the wall so we can not complain about lack of light, there will also be no infringement of privacy. All this takes away from the grounds on which we can object.

[hussra]

The reason why I may have to loose the bed is because they are building a room next to our garden basically which would require a damp course. This means that I would not be able to have the bed against the wall...

Ah, it's a raised bed of some kind I take it. Is there not some ingenious arrangement of damp proofing possible to enable the raised bed to remain? Or could they build their new wall a short distance inside the existing wall, leaving a suitable gap?

Forcing people to rearrange their gardens, because next door have suddenly decided to make the garden wall into an external house wall, does sound a Jolly Poor Show.

Would it help if we all wrote to them to say "You're a Bad Man, Jeremiah Jobling" (or similar)?