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Care to share some?

This is not correct in my experience. Where did you get this? Is there an LA doing it like this? Don't mean to sound rude, just curious. In my LA, and the Dorset one which was posted elsewhere on BH, when you sign the UU, you are entering into a covenant that you will be the first occupier and that you will not sell the house for 3 years from the date of your first occupation. This is enforced by the deed, i.e. the UU, being a local land charge and registered as such by the Council - you can't sell your house until either the LA remove the charge or it expires. Obviously this is a problem for lenders as if the owner defaults on the loan, they can't dispose of the house to recover their money. None of this is required by the regulations. It's regulatory over reach by the LAs.

Well yes in that they are below the level of the warm roof. However as the beams support the two leafs of the original house wall, the outer beam is supporting the outer leaf which as it runs up to the main house roof above the single storey side extension is therefore exposed to the outside air. The plasterboard for the ceiling will run directly below the beams but will have downlight penetrations and will not itself have insulation directly above. The ceiling void the steels sit in is therefore within the thermal envelope.

Well that sounds an interesting project. Torque settings, to me, suggests a rather finer level of engineering sophistication that I associate with residential construction. Maybe steel frames for skyscrapers would? But I suspect not. >>> Is there something I should be considering? Well obviously the thermal detailing is hard around structural members that are good heat conductors. I expect some marmox blocks somewhere involved as a compromise. You’re happy with the expected life of screw piles? Sounds a great project, have a drawing or two?

We have the ceiling height but it might make a tight fit with the top of the kitchen units. It will also deepen the depth of the rooflight 'wells' - something that hadn't occurred to me before the build and for a warm roof they get quite deep. Would indeed be nice if someone can comment on actual experience of using acoustic strip. I have one roll in my hands, seems quite sticky, and seems quite stiff to squeezing, so presumably doesn't give you a bouncy ceiling. We are going to have some ceiling speakers though, not sure of any implications there.

@Fi and J I feel your pain. I did a lot of research on this when we went through planning. There is legislation (statute law, so the council *must* follow it) stating that hey are to manage a register and process of tracking self-builds. They are required to report on it annually (you can put in an FOI to request the stats - I did), so that is no reason for them to avoid what may well be an easier exemption criteria for you. Here are some relevant links and policies that helped me: (Useful but you may need to check if anything has been updated since it was published) Self-build statute legislation (get familiar with this, get yourself on the council’s self-build part 1 register too): https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/17/section/2/2016-10-31 Key Legislation and Policy Sources 1. Environment Act 2021 This is the primary legislation introducing mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) in England. It amends the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to require a 10% BNG for most new developments. 📌 BUT: The Act itself doesn’t list the exemptions — it gives the Secretary of State the power to create exemptions via secondary legislation. 2. The Biodiversity Gain (Exemptions) Regulations 2024 ✅ This statutory instrument (SI 2024 No. 3) provides the legal basis for the self-build and de minimis exemptions. 🔍 Key self-build exemption section: Regulation 4(1)(d) – Exempts self-build and custom housebuilding where: The site is less than 1 hectare, No more than 9 dwellings are proposed, It is not part of a larger development. 📖 You can find this SI here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/3/contents/made 3. BNG Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) – Updated 2024 This is the official government guidance that supports the law and helps LPAs and developers interpret the rules. It details how to claim a self-build exemption, what counts as custom housebuilding, and what evidence is required. 📚 Available on the GOV.UK site: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/biodiversity-net-gain Look under: “Exemptions from biodiversity net gain” “Small sites and self-build developments” 4. Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015 (as amended) Defines what qualifies as self-build or custom housebuilding. You must meet this definition to claim the exemption under BNG regulations. ✅ Summary of Requirements for the Self-Build BNG Exemption: According to the Biodiversity Gain (Exemptions) Regulations 2024, you must show that: You’re building a home that qualifies as self-build or custom, The development is fewer than 10 dwellings on less than 1 hectare, It’s not part of a phased or larger scheme. Good luck!

Loads of it. It's a shame the term PD has been used in the 2 contexts. For the bco it means technical design. For hse it means safety. It's unlikely a self builder will employ one consultant to do both unless they are hsnfing the while thing over......so a client rather than self builder. An experienced and good designer will think of both. But then there can be a second and third party fill each role.

Fair enough. Am no expert so perhaps someone will be along here to agree with acoustic strips! We designed in counter battening from the start for our ceilings but agree if you haven’t got the height that would put me off

Acoustic strip is just self adhesive straight onto the existing joists though - no layout time trying to avoid all the lighting positions - no cutting time - less reduction in ceiling height.

The Builders Prj Manager took great care to ensure the joists could be notched over the steels to avoid the steels being proud of the joists. Strange to then completely ignore the hanger issue. (I suppose they are there because of the rooflights. I guess he had never done a build with rooflights before. (He was a former chef))

10m of acoustic tape.. £8 10m of treated battens… £5.40

How about if I use acoustic isolation strip across the underside of all the joists and then cut it out where the hangers are ? (Might give me some slight sound benefit at the same time.) https://www.insulationuk.co.uk/products/50mm-tekfon-acoustic-isolation-strip-50mm-x-10m?currency=GBP&gad_campaignid=17325772288&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAoNNCLS46l0Skr_o4MTjiC7gA41RT&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIg-Gws-TsjQMVJJdQBh0YBiM8EAQYCCABEgIoRvD_BwE&utm_campaign=&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&variant=54935887774075

Thanks Nick Yes, that's probably my only easy option. I did presume they were OK to cut down in length but dont want to mess with parts until I'm committed to a plan of attack. The 90 in the second picture is on 90mm pipe. Do you think it would be better to use that or swop to 110mm as soon as I'm through the Gerberit frame? I wondered if the extra flow through the smaller pipe so close to the pan might be beneficial at preventing blockages

I had multiple brackets on JJI joists so I made cut outs in the plasterboard with the multi tool.

Minor corrective point, but as I understand it, you aren't entering into a legal agreement to live in the house for three years. You're agreeing that should you not, you cease to be eligible for any of the exemptions for charges that you didn't have to pay for things like CIL and BNG, and any other associated things. I've seen on here that some mortgage lenders are spooked by that, but in the context explained, I can't understand why, to be honest.

I fitted resilient bars, separates the plasterboard from the floor joists and supposedly helps with reducing noise. @nod will confirm? Noise not an issue if single storey but would get you under the hangers.

There was (notching the timbers so that the hangers are flush) but, from where you are now, counter-battening is your best option.

There are several posts about this on here already. Google search Buildhub to find them. We're demolishing an existing building and the new build will be mostly either over the existing foot print or over ground which is unvegitated. The area habitat which will be affected is currently lawn and less than 25 m2 . We found an ecologist who wrote a report for us supporting a de minimis claim which we've included with our application. These judgements and answers to the questions you raised can be a bit subjective. Some ecologists are running BNG points banks and I can't help thinking they might be more inclined to support assessments where they can sell points, i.e. less interested in a de minimis claim. The ecologist we used wasn't doing that. He was recommended by our planning consultant. The report cost £200. We're keeping our fingers crossed the LA ecologist agrees. I'm wondering how long it will be until somebody notices that BNG for self builders is unjust and a mess and does something about it.

About £2k 4yrs ago. No idea what she charges now

I used 3-1 on both ours It is better for plastering Gets over the hangers But also stops the floor above creeping The one I pictured today Is one we where asked to do to give a bit more depth

So we're getting quotes in for a steel ring beam for our timber frame to sit on. The design structure is quite straight forward and it will sit on screw piles. I'm an engineer and familiar with designs that come with torque specifications on every nut and bolt; I'm not expecting this of the ring beam. The design and connections are straight forward, and we will be measuring prior to manufacture in order to get the fit correct. I'm looking at working with my builders to install the ring beam and the block and beam floor in order to save some serious money (quoted c.15k installation). Has anyone done this before? when steelwork is bolted to a concrete foundation, is there a torque setting expected, or is it as basic as I'm expecting on a building site? Is there something I should be considering? The task isn't technical - the technical bit is all in the design and measure before manufacture; the building control inspector is looking at the build matching the SE-specified design. TIA

Hardly… a few 25mm tile battens, nail gun could have it done in a day? Much easier than faffing around compromising your hangers in my mind. Apparently it’s better for plastering - less likely to crack so I’ve been told. Is that true @nod?

Thanks @Thorfun - got it. Do you mind sharing a ballpark of what a lighting designer costs?

GPDO does not reference subordinate. The operative phrase is required for a purpose incidental to the enjoyment of the dwellinghouse The term subordinate comes from case law and planning appeal decisions, not the legislation. It is used by Inspectors and courts to help interpret what “incidental” means in practice. I think in the instance referenced it’s hard to imagine an outbuilding that is larger than the dwelling house being incidental, Even including a pool. A 10mx5m pool for example would be 50m2… a 200m2 pool room is enormous.

Face shields, masks, sun screen, tidy site, barriers around holes ... I have the feeling this thread has drifted back to CDM roles again. Like the OP, I'm struggling to understand the new Building Regs PD and PC roles. I've done some Googling to try and understand what's involved, but mostly what I've found is from RIBA and architects, who might not be interested in helping self builders find their own way. Is there any helpful guidance for self builders out there?