Comninos vs Westminster Roman Catholic Diocese Trustee

The owners of a property in Westminster are suing the Roman Catholic Diocese Trustee of Westminster and St James's Place UK in a row over the right to air and ventilation.

The dispute centres around whether the diocese and its leaseholders, which occupy the adjoining properties, are entitled to use air vents in a lightwell in the north eastern wall of Charles and Sophie Comninos' property. Mr and Mrs Comninos say they are entitled to block up the air vents, and to require the removal of a boiler flue, which is trespassing on their property. They are seeking declarations to that effect and orders forcing the diocese to remove the boiler flue.

In a separate legal dispute, the couple plan to build over a lightwell adjacent to the north eastern wall of the diocesan premises and diocese trustee is suing over the ownership of a tapered masonry structural plinth in the lightwell. It says the boundary between the two properties is the base of the plinth while the Charles and Sophie Comninos say the boundary is the north eastern wall.