Party Wall etc. Act 1996: brief guidance for engineers

摘要

Civil and structural engineers in the UK need to understand how the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 affects them in their work. If they do not, they can be made to look foolish or even be considered negligent. A large proportion of complaints against engineers to disciplinary panels come from their lack of knowledge of this Act. Its title is misleading in that it applies not just to party walls but to excavations up to 6m from nearby buildings. The "etc." is therefore an important part of the title. Previous similar legislation applied only to central London, but in 1997 it was extended throughout England and Wales, affecting a much larger number of engineers. The Act has assumed greater importance for engineers since the fashion for constructing new basements under existing terraced houses took hold, especially in London. This brief guidance does not cover every aspect of the legislation; for more information, see the suggestions in the "Further reading" section.