Southampton carries one of the largest concentrations of post-war residential blocks on the south coast, with extensive 1960s and 1970s development across Shirley, Bitterne, and the wider city, alongside Victorian and Edwardian terraces around Portswood, St Mary's, and the central districts. The city core and the regenerated Ocean Village area carry mid-rise blocks and mixed-use buildings most suited to rooftop schemes. Further out through Sholing, Woolston, and Millbrook, the work shifts to upward extensions on detached and semi-detached homes and bungalows. Our Hampshire team covers Southampton alongside Eastleigh, Fareham, and the wider Solent area.
We have an established Hampshire presence and the practice is RICS regulated, with over 30 years of combined experience on south coast residential schemes. Most airspace schemes need party wall services where the new structure shares walls with adjoining properties.
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.
Project type shapes the work. For a homeowner-led upward extension in Sholing or Woolston, 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 are served on every adjoining owner where a shared wall is involved before work can start.
On rooftop additions to city-centre blocks and the post-war residential developments across Shirley and Bitterne, the existing occupants liaison role becomes the central piece. We make initial contact with each leaseholder below the proposed units, attend meetings to discuss concerns, prepare Schedules of Condition for the flats directly below, and act as the named point of contact through construction. Day-to-day issues, scaffolding, deliveries, parking, access, get handled as they arise, with rights of light assessments covering the impact on surrounding buildings.
Airspace schemes in Southampton typically sit alongside daylight and sunlight, rights of light, and party wall workstreams on the same site. The same surveyor stays on the project from instruction to handover.
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
Residents below an airspace development carry the most direct impact: noise during working hours, disruption to access and parking, scaffolding obscuring windows, and concern about damage to their flats. Without a named surveyor handling that relationship, those concerns escalate into complaints and claims that slip the programme.
Strong liaison and a thorough Schedule of Condition deal with most of this before it starts. Residents get one named contact, the developer gets a structured process for concerns raised during the build, and the Schedule provides documented evidence if a damage claim arises later. Planning sits with Southampton City Council, and a free initial assessment covers feasibility and the supporting workstreams on a given 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
