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The Party Wall etc. Act 1996

The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 has been in effect from 1 July 1997 throughout England and Wales.

If you intend to carry out building work which involves:

  • Work on an existing wall shared with another property
  • Building on the boundary with a neighbouring property
  • Excavating near a neighbouring building

You must find out whether that work falls within the Act. If it does, you must notify all affected neighbours.

This section aims to explain simply how the Act may affect someone who either wishes to carry out work covered by the Act (the "building owner"), or receives notification under the Act of planned work (the "adjoining owner"). For simplicity, it is written mainly from the point of view of the person wishing to do the work. It is not an authoritative interpretation of the law.

This section is only about the Act, which is separate from planning or building regulations control.

Remember that reaching agreement with your neighbour under the Act does not remove the possible need for planning permission or building regulations approval.

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