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6. What is a Party Wall Agreement?

The Party Wall Act 1996 gives you rights and responsibilities whichever the side of the 'wall' you are on i.e. whether you are planning/doing work on a relevant structure or if your neighbour is. The Party Wall Act does not affect any requirement for Planning Permission or Building Regulation Approval for any work undertaken. Likewise, having Planning Permission and/or Building Regulation Approval does not negate the requirements under the Party Wall Act. The Party Wall Act comes into effect if someone is planning to do work on a relevant structure, for the purposes of the Act 'party wall' does not just mean the wall between two semi-detached properties, it covers:

- A wall forming part of only one building but which is on the boundary line
  between two (or more) properties.
- A wall which is common to two (or more) properties, this includes where
  someone built a wall and a neighbour subsequent built something butting
  up to it.
- A garden wall, where the wall is astride the boundary line (or butts up
  against it) and is used to separate the properties but is not part of any
  building.
- Floors and ceilings of flats etc.
- Excavation near to a neighbouring property.

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