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Expensive access .....

divorcingjack

Entry posted by divorcingjack

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At the end of the last episode, we were the proud owners of a landlocked, overlooked, overgrown plot in the centre of a medieval conservation area. Easy to develop, right? 

 

The plot was accessed through a narrow close, about 2cm too narrow for a transit (even with the mirrors folded and a brave/careless driver in charge), so completely impractical for the creation of a new house. On either side, the plot is overlooked by 3 storey blocks of flats, tight up against the boundary, and at the rear, by a selection of very attractive 50's, harled, concrete panel lock up garages. There are 8 of these that back onto the plot. 

 

So, to cut a long story short, we ended up having to buy 2 of these garages, pay extensive lawyers fees, carefully take them apart and store the bits to allow us proper access to the site. They were not cheap. They were so not cheap that we couldn't afford to knock them down - we're going to put them carefully back together when we're finished and sell them to recoup some cash. 

 

The plot, as it stands, consists of two traditional Scottish rigs, covered in a LOT of topsoil, ivy, an old timber shed and a million old paving slabs. Hopefully no Viking longships or bodies. 

 

The space itself is very tight, limited in the height we can build to and with lots of overlooking/privacy issues. Our architect came up with an initial plan of an L shaped building, overlooking our own courtyard garden with no windows on either side gable to avoid privacy issues. We liked the design - the planners liked it, our neighbours and various local groups very much didn't. We had numerous objections including "inappropriate use of modern materials" (newfangled wood/glass), "destruction of the rig structure" (it was abandoned waste ground and had been garden or pasture since pretty much the founding of the town) and so many others that I can't even remember them all. We had to go to planning committee, where we were advised that it simply wouldn't be approved with a flat roof design, so back to the drawing board we go. We end up with a quite compromised design, three stories and with all the complexities that brings. No-one was very happy. We passed committee and got our planning. 

 

So, to building warrant stage we go - back and forth between various build methods, SIP being the front runner for a long time. Numerous engineers, foundation meetings, quotes and drama, we end up with a building warrant package ready to go. The DAY before submitting the package to building control, we heard the news that we could potentially obtain some land next to our plot boundary, and improve the vehicle access. 

 

After tears of frustration and chucking away all the work the architect had done, we realised that actually it was a stroke of luck and we could radically improve the design, the floorplan, the access AND the garden area. Never mind all the work already done and the time spent .... BACK to the drawing board, AND planning, all over again. 

 

 

 

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Pete

Top and bottom of most self-builds are decisions, decisions and can we afford it, Full stop!!!!

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ProDave

You will have to explain (with a picture?) for those of us that don't know, what "two traditional Scottish rigs" are please. (I am sure you are not talking of the type found floating in the Cromarty Firth)

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curlewhouse

Yes, I can say that in my opinion this is the worst part you are in right now - planners, solicitors et al in a feeding frenzy on your wallet and your head buzzing 24/7 with all the decisions you have to make with the budget looking precarious amd setbacks - its amazing how often they occur exactly when you think you are safely passed that stage.  If its any consolation, my own experience has been that once you battle through this bit it actually gets easier when you get to the "real" part - actually building. So get through this and your on your way. :-)   

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divorcingjack

Ferdinand has it spot on about the rigs. If you look at a medieval street map of the town every building has a long strip of land behind it, traditionally a kitchen garden or pasture for a horse/cow/goat. The town was agriculture based, originally, and pains have been taken to preserve as much of that history as possible. Our plot was the original rig length by double the width, we could see where the original boundary line had been, but the dividing wall had long gone, unfortunately. 

 

We had an archeologist who told us all this stuff when she came on a site visit, fascinating. That's also the reason why there was SO much blimmin topsoil (over 2m deep in places!) all over the place - the land had just been used as grazing for hundreds of years. We found a lot of cow bones. 

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divorcingjack
2 hours ago, curlewhouse said:

Yes, I can say that in my opinion this is the worst part you are in right now - planners, solicitors et al in a feeding frenzy on your wallet and your head buzzing 24/7 with all the decisions you have to make with the budget looking precarious amd setbacks - its amazing how often they occur exactly when you think you are safely passed that stage.  If its any consolation, my own experience has been that once you battle through this bit it actually gets easier when you get to the "real" part - actually building. So get through this and your on your way. :-)   

 

So true! This bit was horrible - thankfully we are on site now, so I'm writing up history :) I'll eventually catch up to where we are at the minute!

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Ferdinand

The band Runrig are named for the same, for a Scottish version of a Digger-like land-politics reason (I think), but I would have to look it up.

 

Diggers not JCBs.

 

Levellers_declaration_and_standard.gif

 

Edited by Ferdinand
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