One of the areas of work our team covers are those services which fall within the umbrella of Neighbourly Matters. This includes anything where adjoining properties or land may be affected by planned development work, such as:
- Rights of Light surveying,
- Daylight/Sunlight consultancy,
- disputes under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996,
- access licenses, and
- boundary disputes.
Our team of experienced surveyors that works on Neighbourly Matters was recently further strengthened by the addition of Neil Cawood, BSc (Hons), MSc, MAPM, MRICS, who joined us as Director towards the end of 2024.
Neil is an expert in BRE Daylight and Sunlight, Rights of Light, The Party Wall etc. Act 1996, Access Agreements and Glare Studies. He has over 15 years of practical experience managing complex issues, including planning hearings, inquiries, expert witness reporting matters, and party wall third surveyor determinations.
Neil began his career as a project manager, initially working as an inhouse project manager for a property developer. He later formed his own Project Management consultancy firm, where he continued to focus on new build and re-development projects. Having the opportunity to work on properties spanning all the asset classes and sizes, from individual houses, through to large apartment schemes in city centres, Neil quickly developed a deep understanding of the various roles and streams within property development, and how a building is put together properly.
A shift in focus
However, rather than continue to work across the spectrum of property, Neil instead decided to focus this broad knowledge base down, specialising instead in Neighbourly Matters.
What a board knowledge base gives you, is the ability to specialise effectively, as you can always draw back on that existing knowledge base depending on the issues that arise during a project.
In part, this shift into a specialist area of property project management was prompted by a desire to work more closely with the property professionals he regularly engaged with, being able to draw on their knowledge and expertise, as well as offer his own.
A further consideration for Neil was a desire to work on a greater variety of projects. Large development projects often take a long time to complete, while projects relating to Neighbourly Matters often have a defined end date. This allowed him to work on more projects, bringing with it a greater variety in both the type of property as well as geographical location he covered. Even now, having this variety continues to appeal to Neil, as it enables him to further his knowledge of the property market across the UK.
While this variation is one of the things that Neil particularly enjoys about working in Neighbourly Matters, it is not the only aspect of the role that inspires him.
Every project is different, which means you always find new scenarios and situations, where you are often discussing it with solicitors or barristers. This almost academic side of the projects are often very interesting and unique and really get you to consider each case in its own light.
Next steps
Having settled in as part of the team here at AWH, Neil is now looking forward to building greater links within the more Development-focused work. This often involves analysing proposed plans and providing a developer a report on early findings, helping them identify possible risks during the initial stages of a project, and then discussing mitigation solutions with the client.
During his time in the property industry, Neil has worked on some fascinating projects, including the Imperial War Museum, London’s Trocadero, and the Xcel Centre. When asked why these projects were so memorable, Neil responded:
When you spend a lot of time doing the more “standard” residential work, all of which are still unique in their own right, the more unusual properties tend to stick in your memory. I also love working on older buildings, so those that have a bit of character and history behind them.
If you have a Neighbourly Matters concern or are planning a development and would like some expert guidance to avoid any possible pitfalls, speak to Neil or a member of our team. You can reach our surveyors on 020 7061 1100 or by emailing admin@awh.co.uk. We look forward to working with you.