Temp

Here is an appeal that was refused (in part) due to a lack of bat survey. https://democracy.somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk/documents/s12901/Appeal%20Decisions%2014%20January%202021.pdf This para suggests approval with a condition isnt allowed..

One option would be to hire a QS just to estimate the build cost at the start. Ideally use someone the PM has worked with before and trusts. Normally a QS wants to include other services such as monitoring progress, valuing the project at various stages, adjusting costs when issues arise etc. The full package can be expensive.

If I could only choose one I would go for the PM rather than the QS. However I would want the PM to be a builder or ex builder not a professional project manager that last worked on some failed government IT project. I would expect him to be on site to open up at 7am and pickup jobs nobody owns. Things like keeping trades supplied with materials. If necessary going to the Builders Merchant on the way home after closing the site to buy stuff to keep people working next day. Last thing you want are the brick layers going off site to buy cement, you wont see them for hours.

For a development of 8 house on the high street of a nearby small village the PO told the Parish Council that the proposal was too small a development to even warrant a site visit.

Replied here.. https://forum.buildhub.org.uk/topic/25682-certificate-of-lawful-development-application/

Indeed and it seems they can be liable for the CIL as follows... https://www.southnorthants.gov.uk/info/174/community-infrastructure-levy-cil/426/does-cil-apply-to-my-development-and-who-is-liable/2

My understanding is that an Architects certificate really only says your project is covered by his professional liability insurance. So you would need to show his design or supervision was faulty in some way. I think unless he specified the doors and windows or designed the sections himself I doubt it would cover you.

I'd treat skylight like a regular wall/window reveal. Eg plasterboard fixed to battens (or dot and dab?). Mesh reinforcement on the corners. Edit: I suppose some batten off cuts could be used around the edge of the opening to provide blocks to screw plasterboard to.

Our first floor is beam and block. The beam supplier provided some metal clips to hold battens to the underside of the beams. I think they were 22mm ish deep. So the void under beams was just the batten depth 22mm. Under the blocks the depth available for downlights was 50+22+12= 84 or 85mm ish. Back then that was marginal for fire and sound rated GU10 style downlight housings but shouldn't be an issue for LED these days.

Just renewed ours with the AA at £125 pa.

Could it be the stove itself? Most new stoves smell until the paint is baked on.

I think that might be optimistic. How long are searches taking these days?

Ideally I would recommend 18-21mm engineered oak is used directly over UFH. I think Building regs require >18mm for a structural floor. Many people buy 14mm engineered oak then discover the 18mm minimum and have to put flooring grade chipboard under it. If they put down 18mm chipboard they end up with 18+14= 32mm of wood over the UFH and I pretty sure that must affect the heat output.

Just for info.. I read somewhere that if you glue the T&G (rather than secret nail it to joists) then it's important to ensure the joint is well glued. I forget which website I read this on but they said its not good enough just to run the nozzle of the glue bottle along the groove, you should use a brush to make sure it's all properly coated.

It's winter so the air is quite dry. Our engineered floor does move a bit with the seasons. The T&G joints open up a bit in winter and close up in summer when it's more humid. Not really an issue for us. Ours is 18mm secret nailed to joists with UFH between.

I'm pretty sure we are running our engineered oak floor quite a bit hotter than the maker specified. Water in the UFH has been as high as 55C but I don't know what the actual floor temperature gets to. It's 18mm engineered oak secret nailed to joists with a wet pipe in foiled insulation UFH system between.

Normally it's an annex if the occupiers have to use an essential facility in the main house, something like a kitchen or bathroom because they don't have one.

And if he looses then your costs as well I think.

I expect you already know this but.. https://www.lexisnexis.com/uk/lexispsl/planning/document/393788/5J82-TGD1-F18C-44CR-00000-00/Judicial_review_of_planning_decisions_overview

So i wonder how can the court give him more time if the original paperwork was flawed?

I think the council are responsible for enforcing Appeal Decisions regardless of which side they were on originally.

What is the date on the planning grant from the appeal? Neighbour only has 6 weeks from then to bring the staturory review.

Yes it does but see the link I posted above that says it must be all one dwelling. If the annex amounts to a separate dwelling then it doesn't appear to be a residential annex for the purposes of the CIL. It appears the planners can approve the outbuilding with a condition stating it "cannot be seperately occupied" and yet the CIL assessors can declare it is a seperate dwelling subject to its own seperate CIL calculation.

Answering my own question. It looks like you need to make sure the council are fighting it for you or do so yourself... https://emlawshare.co.uk/resource/judicial-review-minimum-required-local-authorities/

So looks like the neighbour is trying to fight it on the cheap and got the paperwork wrong.