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

25Avalon
You have my deepest sympathy but apart from some of the good advice offered by others ie checking planning appln and taking photos of any blocked access etc there is very little you can do except put up with it. I would definitely be friendly to the builders but I'm afraid you must just try to accept that the work is going on, you have no control over it and try to relax into it (easy to say I know). The more agitated you get the worse it will be for you but not for anybody else and nor will it improve the situation in any way. Take care.

Ok..you have to stay positive.If its something you have no control over..well..no solution.Change is awful...

Sarnia

Sorry, me again! It sounds as if you are off the beaten track so unscrupulous builders will hope that out of sight will be out of mind and gives them the red light to do as they please. Don't let them get away with it. Keep an eye!

Yep....agreed as a valid point.

As for builders only allowed to work between certain hours = that may be (indeed is) what the regulations say. However, a large building got knocked down and replaced by another one very near my last house and they didn't bother about the regulations - until I complained they werent sticking to allowed hours.

It was a VERY public location/couldnt have been much more public - hordes of people passing regularly and they still cracked on with the work at illegal hours. Cue for that stopped when I did complain and they stuck to allowed building hours only then. I think I was so gobsmacked at them blatantly and so openly breaking the rules that I didn't think they'd try that on more than once or twice - until it occurred to me that (though the location was so very public) yet again everyone else seemed to be leaving it to someone else to do their work for them of complaining. So I did...and it stopped at that point.

Have you seen a copy of the Planning Permission document? Should be available to view on the Council's website. Often they will include specific times and days of the week when work can be carried out, e.g. not before 8 a.m. or after 5 p.m. or only on Saturday mornings and not other times at the weekend or not at all on Bank Holidays. If they do not keep to these times without very good reason then contact the Planning department and also Building Control who must oversee the work. If possible take photos and detailed notes of breaches of Planning Permission to support your complaint.

Why should there be any "confrontation"? The builders will just want to get on with their job. How about viewing it from a different angle - pop down the drive to say a cheery hello to them, make friends with them, and then it'll be dead easy to ask them if you need them to do/move/change anything they are doing.
I know it will be annoying, but you really have to think that it's not forever, you might get some very nice helpful neighbours when it's done.

Have any trees got preservation orders on them? Your Council Tree Officer will know.

Sorry, me again! It sounds as if you are off the beaten track so unscrupulous builders will hope that out of sight will be out of mind and gives them the red light to do as they please. Don't let them get away with it. Keep an eye!

In your shoes I would document with photos any damage and disruption caused by the builders. It may be useful if you need to talk to someone about it. As for the tree, have you spoken to the Council about it? If they have already breached planning permission by cutting down 2 trees instead of 1 then that needs reporting otherwise how many other breaches will there be? My local Council takes a dim view of trees been cut down illegally and quite right too.

Did they not contact you prior when planning permission was being submitted?

Interesting how some replies are totally non emphasising whilst others really get it, probably because they have their own horror stories to tell. My thanks to the latter and those who have posted helpful remarks. We are meeting with the building contractors soon and hopefully will be able to establish some ground rules and make sure they adhere to the planning consent.

Just a thought. We recently had a large extension built and the time scale for the build, in your case 18 months is not all taken with noisy dusty work. Once the outside structural works are done the builders will move to the inside and after that you will be much less disturbed.

I’m off to bed again with my small glass of Baileys and my book.

Planning consent was granted in 2023. There were irregularities in that we were not notified within the statuary time and the parish council did not consult either. They just passed it off without even visiting the site. I did a lot of historical research and submitted my objections. These were ignored. The previous owner wrote a letter of correction on historical dates. That too was overridden and permission granted. I felt I had given it my best shot and would just have to accept it.

It is going to be a trying 18 months but made worse by a cheap Jack contractor who clearly doesn’t give a damn. On top of the previous annoyances two beautiful acers have been unceremoniously uprooted and hacked to bits when only one was on the planning permission to be removed. No consultation although it is part of consent. Iam scouring the original plans now. It makes us fearful of our own property. Is it too much to expect a contractor to knock on the door and give a time table? The road is private and all the council says is it’s a civil matter if they block it as is wanting to knock down our wall. Does this sound the kind of reasonable contractor you can have trust in. The owners of the house almost didn’t proceed because the quotes they received from local reputable builders were too high.

When we were first married we lived in a new house on a building site for two years. When we moved here to our detached house on a large plot we had builders for 6 months before we could move in. However we employed a responsible contractor and our neighbours had minimum of any disruption. We paid extra to have small trucks rather than one giant lorry as the road is narrow. All of the employees were polite and respectful to us and our neighbours.

So we feel we have good reason to be fearful. By comparison the demolition contractor arrived today and so far has been quietly demolishing, removing windows and putting them on the back of a small lorry parked where it cannot interfere with anybody. Their phone number is clearly displayed and a name if you need to talk to anyone. How very different from the main building contractor.

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.

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.

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 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

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.

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.

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

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.

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 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 .

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.

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.