Most building work in Wickford that touches a shared wall, sits within three metres of a neighbouring foundation, or excavates below the level of an adjacent footing falls within the scope of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. Loft conversions on the older semis around Shotgate, rear extensions on the 1960s estates near Wickford Park, and new build infill across the Basildon Borough Council area routinely trigger notice requirements.
CHP Surveyors has been established since 2004 and operates from offices in Wickford, London and Hampshire. Our Wickford-based team attends sites across the town faster than London-led practices and turns around schedules of condition without the delay that comes with longer travel. Nearby coverage extends to Basildon, Billericay and Rayleigh, all within 20 minutes of our High Street office. The team is RICS regulated and provides party wall services across the borough.
James Crowley is the past London and National Chair of The Pyramus and Thisbe Society, an organisation with a great interest in party wall and neighbourly matters.
Having been involved in projects across the UK for both domestic properties and larger, city centre developments, we have experience and knowledge of the more complicated methods of construction, including temporary restraint works, piling to form a triple basement and jet grouting. We have also negotiated licences for the use of scaffolding and tower cranes.
Each instruction begins with a free initial assessment. We talk through the proposed work, identify which sections of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 apply, and confirm how many notices need to go out and to which neighbours. For Wickford properties this often covers the standard suite: line of junction notices for new walls on the boundary, party structure notices for cutting into shared walls, and notices for excavations near foundations.
From there we draft and serve the notices, prepare the schedule of condition with photographs and detailed descriptions of the adjoining property, and produce the party wall award if dissent is received or implied. Where matters are agreed, we keep documentation light but legally robust. Some Wickford projects also need daylight and sunlight reports alongside the party wall work, particularly at the planning design stage. Calls go through to a qualified surveyor, not a call centre. Building owners and adjoining owners in Wickford get the same direct line to someone who handles the file.
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
Statutory notice periods are set by the Act and cannot be shortened. A party structure notice must be served at least two months before works begin. A notice for excavation within three metres must give at least one month. In practice we recommend allowing three months to cover the response period and any surveyor appointments that follow.
Wickford projects often run on tight programmes, particularly extensions started before summer. Getting notice timing right protects the build schedule, avoids invalid awards, and reduces the risk of a neighbour applying for an injunction. The building owner generally covers reasonable surveyor fees on both sides, which is worth understanding before work starts. To discuss timing on a specific Wickford project, book a free initial assessment.
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
