You've served a valid party wall notice, and your neighbour has said nothing. It's one of the most common worries we hear from homeowners in Worthing, and the good news is that the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 has a clear process for exactly this. Silence doesn't stop your project; it just changes the route.
Silence counts as dissent
When you serve a notice, your neighbour (the "adjoining owner") has 14 days to respond. They can consent, or they can dissent. If they simply don't reply within those 14 days, the Act treats it as a dissent automatically. A dispute is now "deemed" to exist, not because anyone is arguing, but because the law needs a surveyor involved to protect both sides.
What you do next
Once the 14 days pass with no response, you serve a further written request asking the adjoining owner to appoint a surveyor. If they still don't act within a further 10 days, the Act lets you appoint a surveyor on their behalf so the process can move forward. That surveyor doesn't work for you, they act impartially under the Act for both properties.
From there the appointed surveyor (or surveyors) prepares the party wall award, including a schedule of condition of the neighbour's property, and once that's served your work can lawfully begin.
What you must not do
Don't take silence as permission and start work anyway. Beginning notifiable work without consent or an award in place leaves you exposed to an injunction that halts your build, which is far more costly and stressful than following the process. The steps above exist precisely so a non-responsive neighbour can't hold your project hostage, use them.
Served a notice and heard nothing in Worthing? Call 01903 372418 and we'll get your project moving properly.
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