Structural Engineering
in Hampstead Garden Suburb, NW11
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Beams, underpinning, chimney-breast removals and party wall notices in Suburb houses, with the engineer at the survey, Barnet's building regulations approval in hand and the Trust's consent where underpinning or a leased building needs it.
Barnet's building regulations approval is required for structural alterations, additions and, in some cases, refurbishment, and in the Suburb underpinning also needs the Trust's consent.
We bring the structural engineer in at survey stage, so openings, beams and foundations are drawn before the Trust or Barnet sees the proposal.
Source: Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust and Barnet Council: Conservation Area Design Guidance (2010)
Removing Walls and Chimney Breasts
Removing an internal chimney breast in a freehold house needs no Trust consent, but the joint guidance warns it may cause structural problems, particularly where party walls are involved.
The Planning Portal says building regulations always apply to removing chimney breasts and advises a structural engineer's drawings and calculations.
Where a new or wider opening is formed in an outside wall, the wall above must be carried on new beams with proper bearings, and steel normally needs fire protection.
Sources: Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust and Barnet Council: Conservation Area Design Guidance (2010), Planning Portal Interactive House: Do I need permission to remove chimney breasts?, Planning Portal: Extensions, Building Regulations: Structural Opening
Underpinning, Subsidence and Trees
Underpinning is one of the items that need the Trust's consent in their own right.
Where tree removal is sought because of subsidence, the Trust usually wants evidence: an engineer's report, trial pits, root analysis, level monitoring and a drain survey.
Removing or pruning a tree still needs written consent from the Trust, and Barnet must approve it as well.
On clay that swells and shrinks with moisture, the Planning Portal says foundations should go deeper, and nearby trees can take them much deeper than first expected.
Sources: Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust and Barnet Council: Conservation Area Design Guidance (2010), Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust: Works to Trees and Hedges on the Suburb, Planning Portal: Extensions, Building Regulations: Foundations
Party Walls in Semi-Detached and Terraced Houses
GOV.UK lists cutting into, raising, lowering or rebuilding a party wall, or removing chimneys from it, among the work a neighbour must be told about first.
Where owners cannot agree, each appoints a surveyor or they share one, and the surveyors settle the terms of the work in writing; nobody can act as their own surveyor.
Where houses are joined on shallow clay foundations, the Trust's basement guidance records that digging under one can bring movement and cracking to the house next door.
Sources: GOV.UK: Party walls and building work, Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust: Supplementary Basement Guidance (approved 16 February 2016)
Structural Work in Trust-Leased Buildings
Where the Trust is the landlord of the building, internal structural work is on its consent list too.
A lease can also bring other internal alterations under the Trust's control, the joint guidance says.
For a leasehold flat or house, we read the lease before the engineer designs anything, so the structural scheme is drawn for the consents it will need.
Source: Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust and Barnet Council: Conservation Area Design Guidance (2010)
Engineer's Drawings, Method Statements and Conditions
Trust applications for major structural work, such as substantial demolition or basements, need engineer's drawings and a method statement.
A Provisional Consent can carry conditions that have to be cleared before the structural work they cover begins.
Building works should not inconvenience neighbours or be disruptive.
Sources: Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust and Barnet Council: Conservation Area Design Guidance (2010), Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust: Planning FAQs
Structural work we have completed nearby
Questions about structural work in the Suburb
Does underpinning need the Trust's consent?
Yes. The Trust's consent is required for underpinning in its own right, separate from any Barnet approval.
Can I remove a chimney breast?
In a freehold house the Trust's consent is not needed, but it warns of structural problems where party walls are involved, and building regulations always apply.
A neighbour's insurer wants a tree removed for subsidence. What will the Trust ask for?
Usually an engineer's report, trial pit details, root analysis, level monitoring, a drain survey and the proposed repair.
Do I need a party wall agreement?
If the work affects a party wall or structure, or involves digging near a neighbour's foundations, you must give notice; if you cannot agree, surveyors set out in writing how and when the work is done.
Is building regulations approval needed for structural work?
Yes. Barnet's approval is required for structural alterations and additions.
Sources: Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust and Barnet Council: Conservation Area Design Guidance (2010), Planning Portal Interactive House: Do I need permission to remove chimney breasts?, Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust: Works to Trees and Hedges on the Suburb, GOV.UK: Party walls and building work
Sources
- Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust and Barnet Council: Conservation Area Design Guidance (2010)
- Planning Portal Interactive House: Do I need permission to remove chimney breasts?
- Planning Portal: Extensions, Building Regulations: Structural Opening
- Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust: Works to Trees and Hedges on the Suburb
- Planning Portal: Extensions, Building Regulations: Foundations
- GOV.UK: Party walls and building work
- Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust: Supplementary Basement Guidance (approved 16 February 2016)
- Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust: Planning FAQs
Structural Works in Nearby Areas
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