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Well I very much admire your persistence and wish you good luck.

We referred to this in our appeal - but again if you read the wording it becomes a subjective reduction on planning balance.... They pretend the process is rigorous and clear but the whole shebang is full of weasel words which makes it subjective. It seems that governments want to create laws that appease as many sides as possible and rely on the us the electorate to take cases to court to actually define what certain terms mean. But good luck with everything - really hope you perseverance and research pay off. It did for us. Simon PS there is a book written by a planning (Q)KC that we bought that lists all the case law. You've probably already found this.

You can tape some foil to the wall (well sealed around the edge) and see which side the moisture appears. If it is the exposed room-facing side it is likely condensation, if it is on the wall-facing side it's coming from/through there.

You can’t cure stupid 🤷‍♂️

Ok so what you could do is draw the design yourself. For inspiration use Pinterest etc and if unsure about layout Danwood homes, and others, have some layouts that will give you ideas. I did this using PowerPoint, including importing pics of cladding etc. Post your design & layout here for suggestions and critique. Once you’re happy, pass to your architect to do the proper technical drawings for submission.

Hi there, What don’t you like about it? It looks more or less like a straight copy apart from the angled side. Personally I’d get rid of the 80’s patent glazing entrance feature and I think I’d try and hide the garage doors.

>>> So today I've submitted a new Outline Planning Application Congrats on your persistence. Does this have different content to the first as I think, if not, it gives them an excuse to dismiss it straight away saying 'that's already been decided'? Worth waiting 'til the Labour amendments come through and/or gaining the attention of your MP? - I'm a big proponent of transparency and calling attention to stuff that isn't right. At some time the head of planning will need to interface with the MP and will probably be a bit embarrassed about this stuff - especially as the 'sustainable transport' policy is just a simple excuse not to build.

I would spend zero time wondering or worrying about the neighbours and focus on getting a design you like that works for you internally and externally. The nicest of neighbours can turn into absolute PIAs. They can object as much as they like and if there are any valid objections then you can consider making some concessions if it helps the planning approval. I would say do not try to please them from the start and do not share any plans with them, you may just be giving them enough time to build up ammunition. They'll get enough notification once planning application is submitted. Good luck, sounds like you're going to need it.

The neighbours were the ones selling the land.

The neighbours wanted to vet you? I am a bit gobsmacked that they a) did this and b) the estate agent agreed! Or were the neighbours the ones selling the land/property? As regards fees, that is a difficult one. I retrained, after many years working in IT, to be an Architectural Technologist. Setting prices s not an easy task, and to a degree there was an element of buying in work when I first started. However, I do not like the RIBA method of a percentage of build costs at all, I really don't see the justification for this. The amount of work required to design a house does not vary significantly according to the cost to construct it IMO.

I think that is how we are going to approach it. Aim for passive standard but don't make it the main goal.

Most electricians can change a consumer unit with pulling the main fuse.

Add 0.3 to number of air changes per hour and change MVHR efficiency to 0%.

I would say zero difference. I doubt I will ever get the extra money spent on PH certification back.

Why not get some quotes for the gas combi and rads option and compare to the ASHP?

Absolutely. The thing I find really frustrating is that the courts can't really overrule the weighting an inspector applies unless the process they took to determine the weighting was in error. So if the inspector determines, lawfully, that there is a conflict with a particular policy. It's then up to their professional judgement to determine whether they fancy it to be limited weight or significant weight and you can't challenge that. The only thing you can do (as I tried to) is introduce another, similar appeal that reaches a different conclusion as a material consideration and in doing so they should clearly articulate why they have departed from another inspector's view. Mine didn't do that though. I've got this paragraph in my Planning Statement "Although the professional judgement of a decision-maker in choosing the weight to apply is not something legally challengeable, this inconsistency undermines public confidence in the operation of the development control system." Not sure whether it will make much difference to the re-determination but I feel better for having explicitly noted it and if it does end up with a need for further legal scrutiny, I hope the judges will take that into account.

You keep going ! I know what it is like . Councils like broad terms to refuse you on with no specifics . You have to push them into a corner to define them . Good luck .

ThermInstructions.pdf

Hey all I have finished the raft slab, underbuild and steel frame. About to start the joinery which is where I suspect I will need to ask questions! I had to get a build over permit from Scottish Water so if anyone has any similar issues with drainage assets within build footprint I can offer some advise or info on how my appeal process went (also a civil and structural engineer which helped!). It took a year but I got approval in the end. Doing all the work myself with the help of family and friends. Some pictures of progress to date. Taken a year to get this far from first breaking ground. A lot of digging, some type 1 compaction, even more rebar tying and a couple of massive concrete pours later! Then 3 days of craziness and a fun using a 12m tellhandler to install the steel frame here I am.... awaiting delivery of timber. Suddenly it all seems real and definitely past the point of no return. The extension includes changes to the exitsing which I have been doing as I go. New stairs into loft and loft conversion. Removed some walls and moved the back door. There will be 3 slappings through the existing gable wall into the extension, one at each level. Can't say I am looking forward to doing those. Looking forward to being part of the community. Cheers Hannah

Thanks Jack

You totally should. The rest feels easy now. It feels exactly like that. Who deosn't love giant Meccano sets. Manouvering the elements around existing building was a bit stressful! Very rewarding to see my design come to life though. Thankfully all the sizes were correct!!

>>> no reason to keep building the same looking houses In fact those almost certainly were not great houses, at least judging by today's standards. So, every reason to change.

Our build is very different from all other houses around and the initially approved plans, it’s cubist, flat roof, fibre cement cladding as opposed to chalet style bungalows. No objections from neighbours. Now it’s built it splits opinion, some love it as it’s modern some hate it. We get a lot of neighbours talking to us as we landscape. As long as you aren’t changing ridge heights, I’d be tempted to submit plans as you want them, no reason to keep building the same looking houses.

Wow exciting! Welcome.

My lad came up with this Pokemon themed 35mm film holder for his mate. Embedded neodymium magnets in each face. First attempt. You can see the magnets through the layers on the red half: Same mate he made the Deus Ex B3 Wingman (toy gun from a game) for. They're both 25 FFS! Then this, a Dewalt to Ryobi battery adapter in green PETG:

honestly dont bother. get fancoils instead. for example It's currently 30C outside, solar is close to maxed out. heat pump is set at 15c to the UFH loop and fancoils, upstairs is at 22.5 and falling. the heat pump will cut out in another hour or so once the slab is at temp and upstairs will sit at 20/21 downstairs little cooler. I have a bluetooth sensor we use to monitor, it says bathroom but its moved into one of the bedrooms at the moment.

I remember a discovery documentary about rifle barrell design has remained static with 100 years after centuries of constant change. It basically reached an end point. Similarly, now nearly all cars have 4 wheels, wind turbines have 3 blades, every phone is a landscape shaped touchscreen. Unicycles and blackberrys are rare. There is a practical finishing line. Building regulations are a study in slow slow creeping incrementalism. They're heading towards PH and will get there evetually despite the standard being already 3 decades old. Why not skip to the end? Everyone else is trying to sell you one of these.

It tells you what you already know, but when you come to sell it tells your buyer something they otherwise have to take on trust. "Well insulated" and "airtight" and "not prone to overheating" - heard all those before from sellers and none were accurate. This is where I dislike certification, and particularly the ideologically-motivated AECB retrofit certifications. I'd rather that certifications for building (or retrofitting) well-performing houses were adjacent to certifying low-carbon houses. Reward people for making low-energy houses without mandating (as AECB do) that they install a heat pump. Many will as time goes on but you can save a lot of energy even with a gas boiler in place.

Not cynical: Pragmatic Cautious realist Knowledge can be such a burden, can't it fellow hubbers? I'm sure when we say 'dont' or ' be careful' it is usually good advice.

Or an ultra low or zero emission car sharing scheme... 🤣

Reminds me somewhat of a tweet that caught my eye yesterday. "If you aren't willing to look like a foolish beginner, you'll never become a graceful master."

+1 and I'm very happy to pay for my planning consultant. I've noticed BH has a strong DIY ethos. I even remember somebody on here commenting that if you don't have hands on the tools, you're not a self-builder. In my opinion, being a successful self-builder (which I'm hoping to eventually be), involves knowing when to buy help in.

I'm certain they will be when we get to the other reserved matters, but for the initial outline application with only access as a reserved matter, I don't think they can add anything to be honest.

I don't understand them. They whine like hell about the cost of electricity, think they are being ripped off, and when I offered to monitor it for them, they said no. Hottest day of the year down here, think we are technically in a heat wave. They have been at home all day, sitting in Thier garden where their washing line is. They have the tumble dryer on. What (expletive deleted).

Too right, how bonkers is that, never mind Labour will sort it all out (puts tin hat on and runs away)……

Just had to self moderate my reply to that one.

Depends if the meter has an isolation switch, some do some don’t. However you could always pull the main fuse and tell Octopus you did this because their smart meter is not working properly.

My ( now ) world famous expression “ knobbing the donkey “ comes to mind .

I still think it world be easier to start a community bus route 😜

@garrymartin if I’ve not mentioned it before and you do get a face 2 face - have a recording pen …. Well worth the investment

Just found this little nugget in the conditions of an outline application that has been approved by my LPA... 🤪🤣