Temp

Is this the only WC on the ground floor? Does it need to comply with the disabled access regs (part M)?

Is there a soil stack already? If not where is the nearest drain or inspection chamber? What's the floor made of? Could you move the door so access is from the bedroom or is it going to be a shared bathroom? That might make the layout easier. Currently you can't put a shower either end because of the door and window. I suppose you could put it at the window end but that's not ideal.

I think it was to encourage the fitting of fire doors. Nobody was fitting them because of the need for closers?

If the CIL is a thing in your area don't start any work on site until you have formally claimed and been granted the CIL exemption for self builders. Even if the planners tell you it will be exempt you must formally claim it on the right paperwork or loose it and pay £fortune.

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/fences-gates-and-garden-walls/planning-permission

This.

ChatGPT is quite useful sometimes... How old is your joiner, perhaps he never noticed the change.

If its connected to the house and its got a roof it's normally classed as an extension. But you can build some extensions without needing Planning permission. For example a 3m deep rear extension on a semi detached house is possible subject to some limits. Decking under 300mm does not need planning permission. On sloping ground the height is measured from the highest ground next to the deck. Above some height (600mm?) You start needing hand rails to prevent falls but that's a Building Regulations issue.

Sorry if already reported... https://www.se-solicitors.co.uk/article/102jao8/clarksons-clause-opens-up-new-sources-of-revenue-for-farmers/#:~:text=The reform means that agricultural,unit from 5 to 10.

The rules are generally easier for outbuildings than extensions. Summary... Planning: You can have any size outbuilding provided you don't build over more than half the area or the garden. Outbuildings must be single storey with a maximum eaves height of 2.5 metres and maximum overall height of 4 metres with a dual pitched roof, or 3 metres in any other case. If the outbuilding is within 2 metres of the property boundary the whole building should not exceed 2.5 metres in height. Decking or raised platforms must be under 300mm. Building Regs: Between 15 square metres and 30 square metres, you will not normally be required to apply for building regulations approval, providing that the building contains NO sleeping accommodation, and is at least one metre from any boundary. Any mains electrics will need to be done by a qualified Electrician who should notify Building Control as part of the process (check and ask for copies). If you build an outbuilding within 1m of your house the planners can try and argue its effectively an extension. How likely they are to do that depends on how "bad" they think it is in planning terms. The planners don't normally go looking for minor breaches, problems typically start with a neighbour complains and then they feel obliged to check you have net the rules.

Have you actually checked the plans yourself? Perhaps he's just after a reduction in asking price. I know they aren't definitive but I'd download both title plans and compare with old maps and aerial photos if you can find them.

Yes but I would still consider fitting one loop per room. By all means use one central stat so its all one zone but aving a loop per room makes it possible to separate it into multiple zones later if necessary by just adding stats. It also allows you to balance the system if one room is too hot/cold by tweaking the manifold flow rates. In our case we tend to heat the bathrooms for more of the season than the bedrooms so we have the master bathroom on its own zone. The stat is on the wall outside the bathroom with a remote sensor in the bathroom.

Ideally you want a bit more insulation in the floor if you have UFH. We have 80mm and would fit >120mm if building again. It works but in our first winter we had to turn up the flow temperatures - not an issue as we have an oil burner. What will the floor coverings be? With UFH Stone and tile works best, then Engineered wood and lastly carpet. The TOG value of carpet and underlay should be kept below 2 ideally. Special underlays with TOG of 0.6 are available. Carpet with TOG of 1.4 isn't exactly thick shag pile. Some companies make two versions of their carpet with foam rubber or Hessian backing. The Hessian backed versions have lower TOG but may feel a bit hard under foot. Go test some combinations of underlay and carpet. Beware the small print on order forms allowing them to supply either version at their discretion. Small rooms tend to have proportionately less exposed floor area. Proportionately more is hidden under beds, sofas, book cases, kitchen units etc than with large rooms. This can reduce heat output from the floor. You might want to think about reducing the UFH pipe spacing to fit more pipe in the floor.. Costs more pipe but its a lot easier to turn down the flow temperatures than fit more pipe later.

Attenuation (only) tanks are sized to cope with a storm surge. After the storm passes they empty slowly so in theory they are empty by the time the next storm arrives. This type doesn't store water for recycling use, it only slows down the rate of discharge to the drains but thats enough to minimise flooding. Combined tanks that do both Attenuation and rainwater recycling are available. After a storm they drain out slowly but only down to about the half full level. So they still have space for the next storm but also provide some storage.

We had a near identical situation. Clay soil and flooding 100m down the hill. Highways said "they wouldn't want us to make the flooding worse". We proposed an underground Rainwater Storage tank with overflow to the highway drain. The planners approved it discharging the condition without further consulting highways even though ours doesn't actually provide storm attenuation when full. We use it to wash the car, water the garden in summer. These days people are more aware of the need for genuine storm attenuation so you might need to propose a tank that just does attenuation or both storage and attenuation. For example a 3000L tank might store 1500L and provide 1500L of storm attenuation. They need a fairly deep hole with concrete at the bottom to prevent the tank floating out of the ground when empty. Also a nearby electric supply for a submerged pump.

It's just intended to prove you are a self builder not a professional builder trying to get around the CIL. Remember to follow the exemption process to the letter before starting any work on site.

Neighbours pressure OK? Perhaps check the water co website. In our area we get regular water main failures. They have to bridge the fault with hoses until they can fix it, meanwhile we get somewhat reduced pressure.

@Penny926 I have sent a PM.

I have a feeling I know the answer but I haven't actually seen a "grant" for this type of Planning Application. Lets say you submit an application under the Prior Approval/Neighbourhood Consultation Scheme for larger extensions... Are the planners obliged to check your plans actually meet Permitted Development Rules as part of the Prior Approval process? If not then it looks like most people should probably ALSO submit an Application for a Certificate of Lawfulness at the same time. Otherwise you could find yourself lulled into a false sense of security by the grand and end up building something that needed a Full Planning Application. In an ideal world you would hope the planners would check but I have a horrible feeling they don't. Anyone?

Does it have a light or laser and do they work? Otherwise search youtube for vids like..

My choice woukd be to build a cavity wall of block and brick and no paint/render. Would specify a low efflorescence brick. I wouldnt paint or render a solid retaining wall but rendering a cavity retaining wall with the correct drainage should be OK. Not all render is approved for damp conditions, most say not for use below DPC and the whole of a solid retaining wall is effectively below DPC.

Did the planners not say anything about the combined extensions being wider than half the width of the original house? Suppose the original house was 8m wide and the first extension "A" made it 3m wider and extended out the back 3m. If you then want to build a rear extension "B" onto the original house that connects to the previous side extension "A" its width is limited to just 1m. That's because the width of the combined side and rear extension cannot be more than 4m wide (4 being half of 8m). If on the other hand your rear extension "B "did not connect to the previous side extension "A" its width could wider. In practice it could be say 6m wide, just not the full 8m as that would connect it to the first side extension. This is from the Technical Guidance..

People with solar PV are to be charged when they export to the grid...

I wouldnt put wood into the ground unless it's oak. Pressure treated softwood is barely OK but never use a strimmer near it. It cuts the pressure treated layer. I found out the hard way. Our house has some external oak posts, typically holding up roof overhangs. We dug pad foundations filled to just below ground level, then brick piers (1.5 * 1.5 bricks, 4 courses high with the top course being 45 degree plinth bricks). The hole in the middle was filled with concrete with a Stainless Steel pin sticking out the top. Then a square of lead was put on top, dressed about 1" down the slope. Then the post drilled with a hole to take the pin. You could also buy or cast your own concrete block pier to get the wood out of the ground... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/275700203774?chn=ps&_ul=GB&var=577119817626&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A1l_9kbZx_TFyjSM9PSQnmNw71&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=577119817626_275700203774&targetid=1647205089000&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=1006886&poi=1006818&campaignid=21194089662&mkgroupid=162053931300&rlsatarget=pla-1647205089000&abcId=9406426&merchantid=6995734&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwyJqzBhBaEiwAWDRJVIW55VLnv0qmo2qIlY1t4Av1Unz35lGaM2bEf3tGRdE1ezBMKB1ZZRoCV-EQAvD_BwE

This was a requirement when we built our house in 2006/7. That's 17 years ago. How can builders and Architects still not know about this?