Few Essex towns offer the building mix that Colchester does, which feeds airspace work at a range of scales. The town-centre stretch around the High Street, North Hill, and Crouch Street carries older mid-rise blocks and mixed-use buildings where rooftop residential extensions occasionally come forward. The 1960s and 1970s residential developments across Greenstead, Highwoods, and Mile End include flats with structural reserves that can take an additional storey. Outer suburbs through Lexden and Stanway are mostly detached and semi-detached homes where the work shifts to upward extensions and bungalow conversions.
Our Essex team covers Colchester alongside Braintree, Clacton, and the wider north Essex area. The practice is RICS regulated, and most schemes will need airspace development advice on feasibility before a planning application is prepared.
As well as providing daylight, sunlight and rights of light advice, our role would be to make contact with the occupants of the existing building to establish any concerns regarding the development. We will work closely with the professional team to identify the initial questions and look at how these can be addressed.
It is our experience that maintaining the same point of contact for the duration of the project offers the existing occupants’ reassurance and continuity.
The scope adapts to the scheme. On a homeowner-led upward extension in Lexden or Stanway, the focus is the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, rights of light risk on adjoining properties, and protection of the existing structure during construction. Notices need to go to every adjoining owner where a party wall is involved before work can start.
Where a developer is adding flats on top of an existing residential block, the existing occupants liaison role becomes the central piece of work. We make initial contact with each leaseholder below the proposed units, attend meetings to talk through their concerns, prepare Schedules of Condition for the flats directly below, and act as the named point of contact for the duration of the build. Day-to-day issues, scaffolding, deliveries, parking, and access, get handled alongside rights of light assessments for surrounding buildings.
Airspace projects in Colchester typically sit alongside daylight and sunlight, rights of light, and party wall workstreams on the same scheme. The same surveyor stays on the project from instruction to completion.
Over the past four years, CHP have worked very successfully with us in their capacity as party wall surveyors. Through his calm, sensible approach and excellent communication skills James Crowley, in particular, gained the trust and confidence of the entire team and stakeholders. Looking forward to working with CHP again.”
- Clare Goggin, Jackson Coles
Existing residents below an airspace development have real concerns: noise, disruption to access and parking, damage to their property, and uncertainty about who to speak to when something goes wrong. The combination of a thorough Schedule of Condition and a named point of contact deals with most of these before they escalate.
The Schedule records each flat's condition before work begins, so any damage claim can be checked against documented evidence. The point of contact arrangement means residents have one named surveyor rather than a developer's site office. Planning sits with Colchester City Council, which reviews airspace proposals on design, height, and amenity grounds. A free initial assessment covers how all of this fits together on a specific site.
Get in touch.
Head Office
2-6 Boundary Row
London, SE1 8HP
Essex Office
2-6 Boundary Row
London, SE1 8HP
020 3714 4090
Get in touch.
Head Office
2-6 Boundary Row
London, SE1 8HP
Essex Office
2nd Floor, 10 High Street
Wickford, Essex
SS12 9AZ
020 3714 4090
enquiries@chpsurveyors.com
