I am dreading the house at the bottom of our drive being demolished.

butterandjam

* I’m not going to be able to drive in and out freely without fear of some kind of confrontation. Even walking the dog will put me on edge. *

Enough drama; the builders will be far too busy to bother with you. You'll just drive/walk out (and back) as usual.

The builders MUST provide a clear vehicle access to your property, at all times, for you and emergency services vehicles.

True. A "right of way" is only allowed to be blocked for 15 minutes maximum (yep....you can tell how often I've had in the past to sit there thinking "14 minutes 30 seconds, 14 minutes 31 seconds etc") and it's only for the purpose of "loading or unloading people or goods" and not parking parking so to say.

An effective tactic to use against someone parking parking (especially if you can see they've done it deliberately to block access to your house) is to get any vehicle that is coming to see you to park right behind them. Then they can't move and have kicked themselves up the backside by doing that. It might take them a couple of hours to accept they've got to come out apologising and move their blocking vehicle - but daylight dawns on them eventually and they don't do it again.

I sympathise.
Long ago a block of 16 flats on 4 floors was built on an empty site (which was once a row of cottages) at the top of our driveway, so sharing a drive.

The first thing was the digger driver accidentally dug through our gas and water pipes. It was so bad it was funny (we were younger then)
There was upheaval for months. I wrote to complain but got nothing except a letter from their law department refuting my complaint.

The trouble then began when they couldn't sell the flats and eventually allowed the Council to use them as emergency housing and although most tenants were ok a few were antisocial and my DD who was a young teenager was scared to walk past and I got verbal abuse if I complained about anything.

I complained to the letting agents who sympathised and said they would deal with it. The agents were in Glasgow so not local.

The ownership of the flats changed over the years and it's hard to know who to speak to now. The tenants seldom remain for more than 6 months so there are old sofas and fridges left outside and their bins are hardly ever put out for collection.

I guess there are worse things in the world.

Good luck to you living next to a building site.

Lathyrus3

My experience is somewhat different to yours in that I bought a new house at the start of a development of 1500 homes, so I lived on a total building site for 2 years and then the building moved on, but still with the lorries and supplies and stuff, trundling through. Though there was still intermittent work around me like making up the roads and green spaces etc

My advice is to make friends with the builders. They are just people doing a job, not the enemy.
If they do anything that causes a problem tell them, but equally if it isn’t let it go. My driveway was sometimes blocked but if I wasn’t going out anyway, it didn’t really matter. I learned to abandon my idea of what they shouldnt do for practicality. It didn’t come easily to me😬

It paid dividends though because as we got to know each other they started to help me out with a few little jobs that come up on new builds, sorting an never doorstep. Helped me carry furniture and garden stuff and even helped me put up a shed 🙂

I hope your builders will be just as nice when you get to know them.

The difference is you chose to live on a building site, the OP didn't and I didn't.

You also have a relationship with the developer. I've phoned to complain about things, like Lorryload of earth being moved on a hot day with a huge cloud of dust covering everything as the lorry passes. The reaction? Which plot are you on? And then a distinct lack of interest when they realise you aren't actually on the development.

I’m sorry you’ve had a bad experience.

I accept I chose to live there and the OP didn’t. I was giving advice that worked for me when I was surrounded by building. She can chose to respond differently.

It wasn’t about a relationship with the developer, rather a relationship with the people I saw every day. I found they were easier to deal with about everyday stuff than trying to get a response through the offices of the developer.

My neighbours had a very large extension which took quite a long time to be constructed. We had the usual builders noise and mess. One day I asked one of them if it would be possible to turn the radio down just whilst we had our lunch in the garden ( it was glorious weather for the whole of the build). The builder looked stunned, it really hadn’t occurred to them that we could hear their radio. He apologised and afterwards the volume was much quieter and the radio was off between 12 & 2 every day. Builders are only human.

I live in Scotland; part of applying for PP is sending your neighbours (if you have a common boundary) a notice of what is being planned.
I would go into the planning dept and query what is going on.

I really am finding it hard to take this seriously.

If the owner of the property wants either to demolish the house and build a new one, or completely renovate the existing building and has planning permission to do so, that anwers your question as to what right they have.

The builders have to abide by the by-laws for the area, regarding how early they start work and how late they finish. If they exceed these rules, you can complain.

Why can you not just walk past with the dog? Or cross to the other side of the road?

How exactly do you expect the workmen to annoy you?
The last time a workman wolf-whistled at me, or made a cheeky remark was over 55 years ago, and I doubt even if you are far more attractive than I am at 74, you will be in any danger of that sort of thing.

Do please, for your own sake, try to calm down.

I feel your pain! Refurbishment/ Extension been going on since April 2024 next door. On most days 7 vans in our narrow road. Noise levels vary but last year couldn’t use the garden or hang out washing because of the dust! Nice young couple moving in … but probably not until Summer this year!!

Feed the builders the odd bacon sarnie,
And cuppa, you will be surprised at how accommodating they can be. As previously posted they have to give you notice of any services disruption and access to your property is a must.

I really am finding it hard to take this seriously.
Do please, for your own sake, try to calm down.

How unhelpful.

According to 25Avalon so far:
The workmen started preparatory work, didn’t communicate with us, cut through the gas main, blocked the driveway, all before they start the demolition.

They now want to knock down the boundary wall between them. This house is at the bottom of their drive so there is going to be a lot of disruption.
And you tell her to calm down?

Why did you mention wolf-whistling? That is your imagination, the OP never mentioned that.

25Avalon I agree with those posters who suggest being polite and friendly and they will be more accommodating, hopefully. My friend has building work going on at a site at the bottom of her garden; she chatted to the builders and, whilst they were trimming tree and hedges, they offered to do some of hers on the boundary free of charge.

The first part of my post was to AuntieE.

A mini estate was built at the bottom of our garden, with the house at the end of the terrace demolished to make an access road. I think the whole process only took about 9 months, but building work was 7 days a week, with heavy plant and cranes delivered in the wee small hours. I remember at the time I felt awfully stressed by it, but once work was done I did get used to it. In my experience, demolition and laying foundations were the worst bits, although it did take quite a long time to get used to being overlooked. It sounds like there are quite a few restrictions on how the build must be delivered. My hot tip would be to tell the planning office if the builders break those. In my instance, building hours were limited at the weekend, and I had to call in the Council a couple of times when work started outside the agreed hours. I know it’s horrible, but try getting out of the house as much as possible, maybe move your bedroom away from the garden end and know this will get better eventually. Maybe invest in a shrub or tree that will provide you with more privacy in your garden.

.

Weren't you contacted by the Planning Department prior to this happening?
They usually send a letter to all neighbouring properties inviting any objections and comments to an Application.

In my City they also attach a copy of the Planning Application (weather protected in plastic) to the nearest lamppost.
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Trimming of trees/bushes - now that could go two ways.

A houseflipper home-owner neighbour and her husband that moved into their adjacent house years after I moved into my "permanent" home house offered to trim my trees on the boundary. Luckily I realised that in her case her plan was to absolutely butcher them (because that's what she wanted) and I could see their own poor little plants they added to their garden were positively crewcut - whereas my style is a bit semi-wild. Anything she could get her hands on got reduced to a fraction of its size - because that was her style.

I had to fight pretty hard not to have her vandalise my plants. It was not funny having to be on "guard duty" and add security cameras to keep an eye on what she might get up to that would worsen my garden.

Basgetti

Presumably they sought planning permission? Were you not notified?

My thoughts, too. Surely that would have been the time to object and get questions answered.

I am really sorry for you and can empathise totally, I’m sure I would feel the same. But - as others have suggested - please try to be as positive as you can. Go out and about when things are at their worst, give a wave to the builders (and maybe a bacon roll!), move furniture (even temporarily). My hope for you is that you can make smallish changes which will help. I really do feel for you .

There should be plans with local authority and these should show all the necessary work. Knocking a wall down will need to be "approved" especially if it is jointly owned. The hours for the work will also be available.Blocking drives etc is not on and council should be informed.

I always search for the best deals with my Gas/electric, Broadband package and Car/House insurance about 5 weeks before so I’ve time with Broadband to give 30 days notice.
Today my friend rang for a chat and conversation went to the weather and how much heating was costing, I agreed and mentioned last months was just under £200 which as it’s quite a big house with high ceilings isn’t too bad, (I don’t do the monthly amount spread over the year but pay for what I use),
hers was just over £100 as a small bungalow..
Then broadband etc came up as price increases due in April, so I told her I’d done my usual bartering last week and they eventually only put it up 50p to £28.
She was really shocked and angry as we are both with the same supplier and she said she was paying over £90 but had a Sky sport add on for £40….
She asked if the £28 was just for Bb
and I said the 24m contract I’d got was for Bb M250, mixit TV 360 box and telephone anytime chat.
The £28 until April 27 with an increase £32 to April 28 with no mid-term increases.
She became quite upset at the disparity and I just said that you have to barter and be quite tenacious.
She said she couldn’t be bothered with all that and asked can I stop talking about it now as I’d got her anxiety sky high.
I changed the subject sharpish, as I know she suffers from anxiety and I do feel sorry for her paying so much more than I do but I then wonder if my “deal” is so out of the ordinary for other people like me who barter.
I’m also upset now as telling her has given her anxiety and I also don’t like how she told me to stop talking, as “l” was giving her anxiety.

Sorry 25Avalon, I have posted here, I thought I was making a new thread

AuntieE

I really am finding it hard to take this seriously.

If the owner of the property wants either to demolish the house and build a new one, or completely renovate the existing building and has planning permission to do so, that anwers your question as to what right they have.

The builders have to abide by the by-laws for the area, regarding how early they start work and how late they finish. If they exceed these rules, you can complain.

Why can you not just walk past with the dog? Or cross to the other side of the road?

How exactly do you expect the workmen to annoy you?
The last time a workman wolf-whistled at me, or made a cheeky remark was over 55 years ago, and I doubt even if you are far more attractive than I am at 74, you will be in any danger of that sort of thing.

Do please, for your own sake, try to calm down.

This and this again talk about dramatising before it even starts properly, with that attitude it will be awful. Change how you perceive them being there and you will be fine. Get your husband to calm down too, you are just winding each other up far more than necessary. One day at the time as they say.

WelshPoppy

Basgetti

Presumably they sought planning permission? Were you not notified?

My thoughts, too. Surely that would have been the time to object and get questions answered.

They also normally have a meeting where you can see the plans during a week or more and then comment or object at the time. or later in writing but before a certain deadline.

I m too am amazed you ve had no plans or information or opportunity to see plans approved or not etc etc !!!
I don’t understand why you have to tip toe past the builder with the dog !!!!
I also fail to understand posts about wearing sunglasses etc

I had my joined on house next door ( semi detached) completely restored from roof down a couple of years back They were all very respectful of me and even reroofed my joined on outhouse roof when they did theirs totally free of charge
Absolutely no problems at all
I d relax a little and don’t look for any problems before they arise

My friend is pleased about the free lopping and pruning.
She talked it through with them and has had no problems; they have lopped dangerous branches, cleared some shrubs she didn't want and trimmed others.
She liaised with the contractors who were carrying out the work.

All of you telling 25Avalon not to catastrophise - how would you feel if you had the gas main cut through and they blocked the access to your property?

Normally, one would chat with the contractors, be polite and hope you can maintain a good relationship with the workmen.

However, any contractor who cuts through a gas main needs reporting to the Council as it is clear they may not know what they're doing.
Knocking down the boundary wall? Who does it belong to? Will the dog escape?

It's not catastrophising, it sounds like valid concerns.

My advice, although others may disagree, is to log everything and date it, 25Avalon.
And buy more chocolate!

I am in almost the same situation as you 25Avalon. The house next door is being extended to three sides. It will be right onto our boundary and the build is expected to start in March for nine months. I am absolutely dreading it. I adore gardening and sitting outside in the summerhouse but I doubt either will be possible this year. The new owner did come round to tell us what is happening and said she wont be moving in until everything is completed because she doesnt like noise, dust and dirt. Nothing we can do. She has planning permission. So far I have bought noise cancelling headphones and booked lots of short trips away.

It will be a big nuisance but as they say ‘what can’t be cured must be endured’ and meanwhile go out on nice days if you’re retired to minimise anxiety.