Party Wall & Planning Liaison
In dense London terraces and semis, party wall matters and planning liaison are often as much a part of getting a project moving as the building work itself. We support clients through both, so procedural requirements don't stall a project that's otherwise ready to go. Most of what triggers these procedures is construction work, structural alterations, extensions, foundation work, so we build this liaison into the construction programme from the outset rather than treating it as a separate administrative task.
What Is Party Wall & Planning Liaison?
Party wall liaison covers the process required under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 when work affects a shared wall, boundary, or nearby foundation, serving the correct notices to neighbours, and where needed, coordinating with a party wall surveyor to reach an agreement before work starts. Planning and conservation liaison covers ongoing communication with your local planning authority or conservation officer throughout a project, beyond just the initial consent application, so unexpected findings during work (a common occurrence in period buildings) don't cause delays while approval catches up.
Why It Matters
Party wall disputes and planning delays are two of the most common reasons a genuinely well-planned heritage project stalls partway through, not because the building work itself has gone wrong, but because a procedural step was missed or handled too late. On a terraced or semi-detached period property, party wall notices are very often required even for work that seems entirely within your own property, and getting this wrong can mean a legally enforceable pause on works already underway.
Lime Heritage Restorations proudly serves clients across London and the Home Counties, including Chelsea, Kensington & Notting Hill, Richmond upon Thames, Wimbledon, Hampstead & Highgate, and Greenwich.
In addition to our work across the capital, we regularly work further afield, delivering heritage restoration and full house refurbishment in Surrey, Kent, and Hertfordshire.
Whether you're restoring a listed building or undertaking a complete heritage refurbishment, we bring expert craftsmanship, breathable materials, and conservation-sensitive finishes to every project we take on.
Why This Sits on the Construction Side of a Project
Party wall notices and planning conditions are almost always triggered by construction work, structural alterations, foundations, extensions, rather than by decorative restoration on its own. Building this liaison into the construction programme from day one, rather than treating it as paperwork to sort out later, is what keeps a project's timeline realistic.
What to Know Before You Start.
We manage the paperwork and process: serving statutory notices, coordinating with a party wall surveyor where needed, and liaising with planning or conservation officers throughout your project.
This service exists specifically to manage consent and notice processes, both party wall notices under the 1996 Act, and ongoing liaison around listed building consent or planning permission as a project progresses.
Party wall notice periods are set by statute, typically one to two months' notice depending on the type of work, so this needs to start well before your planned building work begins. We build this lead time into overall project planning from the outset rather than treating it as an afterthought.
Party wall and planning correspondence is often where a heritage project stalls not because of a real dispute, but because of poor communication or a missed procedural step. We manage this proactively and keep you informed in plain terms, rather than leaving you to interpret legal correspondence yourself mid-project. We work alongside RICS-qualified party wall surveyors where a formal award is required, and our own liaison work is covered by professional insurance. Documentation of notices, agreements and correspondence is kept and provided to you for your records throughout.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on proximity to the shared wall and the nature of the work, some internal works close to a party wall do require notice. We'll assess this specifically for your project rather than giving a blanket answer.
Under the Act, no response within the statutory period is treated as a dissent, which triggers the surveyor process, we manage this so it doesn't become an open-ended delay.
Yes, while it's always better to have this in place before work starts, we can also step in to help resolve an issue that's arisen mid-project.
We manage the formal notice and documentation process, and can support direct communication with neighbours where that helps keep things amicable, many party wall issues are resolved more easily through clear, early communication than through a formal dispute process.
It's typically scoped and quoted as part of the overall project where relevant, though for straightforward cases the cost is modest relative to the risk of an unmanaged delay, we'll be transparent about this at quote stage.
