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Just to be clear.. Class Q is permitted development for converting an agricultural building to a dwelling. It requires _some_ matters be prior approved by the planners. I'm not sure if approval of those matters alone also amounts to confirmation that the project meets all the other rules in the GPDO. For safety you should check those other rules have been met (or the seller has a certificate of lawfullness). http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/596/schedule/2/part/3/crossheading/class-q-agricultural-buildings-to-dwellinghouses/made 465 or 450sqm? The link above says 450sqm but perhaps its changed? The 450sqm rule applies to the area of the building or buildings changing use. So if part is beong converted to an integral/internal garage the yes it has to be included in the 450sqm calculation.

The must be a water trap somewhere but you don't need a separate u-bend if there is a water trap in the waste outlet/drain itself. Typically these are formed from concentric tubes that can be removed from above through the square top for cleaning. So have a look inside the waste outlet. If there really isn't one in the waste outlet I wouldn't add a u-bend. Better to find a waste outlet that does have a top access trap.

They say where they get that figure in the notes at the bottom... "Electricity:Based on an average of the 6 major electricity suppliers’ online prepayment, credit and direct debit tariffs, including standing charges and VAT, but not Economy 7. Data used are the Tariff Comparison Rates (TCR) provided on the 6 major energy suppliers’ website."

So its about right if you need all that doing. It is possible to flush UFH pipes yourself. Many manifolds have connection for hoses.

Its still quite hard to find energy cost comparison data but this site has been running for awhile and claims to take into account the efficiency of the system. For example they told me their figures for ASHP assume its connected to UFH. Perhaps Nextgen should submit their data and try and get a place in the table. https://nottenergy.com/resources/energy-cost-comparison/

Its clear from this page... http://nexgenheating.com/cost-comparison/ That the claims are based on the argument that radiant heaters provide equivalent comfort levels at lower air temperatures. That can be true but in my experience radiant heat is more directional than you think. So you feel warmer on the side facing the heater. Fine if all your walls are covered in heaters. Sit at a table and your legs get cold. I'll wait until a housing association rips out gas central heating from their homes and replaces it with heating films and the tenants rave over the reduced bills and improved comfort.

15 Years ago I brought an unbranded self propelled rotary mower with a Honda engine from a Belgian DIY shed. The deck is starting to rust through now but that Honda engine has been fantastic. I'd definitely go with another Honda powered rotary if I ever need to replace it. If you have an acre paddock to cut id get a biggish ride-on. For our paddock I hired a power scythe (also called an Allen Scythe) for the first cut but the hire shops seem to have stopped offering these (despite still listing them on their web site). For past 12 years I've used a Toro DH220 (19 or 21Hp i forget) ride on mower to cut it regularly. One acre takes about 80mins. Have to keep on top of it in the growing season because long wet grass clogs the grass chute making it take much longer. In theory the Toro can collect the grass or mulch it. Instead of mulching i find its best to removed the collection basket and just blow the grass out the back. It does a better job of cutting the grass that way. Being American the price of less frequently needed spare parts can be an issue. If its rough consider getting a local farmer to level it and reseed. That will make cutting a lot easier in the long term. Imagine driving down a bumpy road at 10mph in a car with no suspension for over an hour and you get the idea what it could be like. PS regular cutting seems to have killed off the ragwort that was in it. Think you have to control this by law.

Thanks I'll have a look at the suggestions. The render already has a slightly rough texture so I think a smooth paint is probably the way to go and will stick well. Low maintenance is key for me as I need a scaffolding tower to get to it safely.

And clad with something on the neighbours side of the steel?

YouTube recommended this video to me. Shows someone building a SIP house with SIP floor on interesting looking foundation "posts". Sorry its in Greek(?). Skip the first 10-12 mins unless you like looking at a pile of SIP panels.

Following the procedure in the Guide to The Party Wall act also covers your arse if the neighbour changes his mind.

Google for "A guide to the Party Wall Act". There is a government booklet by that name. In brief .. If building within 3 meters and your founds go below theirs the PWA applies and you need to follow the procedure in the guide. If building >3m but <6m you can go deeper than their founds but if you go below a 45 degree line detailed in the guide then the PWA will apply. If you are doing anything to an existing wall you need to find out if it is his wall or a party wall. If it's his wall you can't touch it without his agreement (regardless of the Party Wall Act). If it's a party wall you must follow the procedure in the guide. The exception would be where the work is minor such as fixing a shelf to a party wall. My understanding is that if you want to rely on a party wall for structural support (eg fix steels to it) then that is major enough that you need to follow the proceedure in the guide. If you need to follow the proceedure in the guide, and the neighbour is happy, you really only need to give him drawings and get him to sign a letter. If he's not happy then it gets messy and expensive as you need a PWA Surveyor (or even three). The details and example letters are in the guide.

We have a small cement rendered panel on our house that needs repainting. Can anyone recommend a make of paint for that?

That doesn't sound right. If it's his wall on his property then you will have to build another wall on your side. Insulation should be on your side of this new wall not between yours and his. Also bear in mind that nothing should overhang the boundary, including the eaves, verge or gutters. Normally these project out from the wall so the wall may have to be set back further from the boundary. The boundary line may not be his wall but his eaves or verge.

Building over a driveway? Do you mean building the walls on a concrete driveway instead of cutting through it and forming proper foundations? You might have one room built that way already but was it approved by Building Control?

It's says "any part of the building" (the left hand corner is a part) .."measured from the surface of the ground immediately adjacent to that part"(eg adjacent to the left hand corner). I'm sure the wording in England is different and in England it would be measured from the right hand side.

That sounds more restrictive than in England. Normally the height is measured from the highest point of the ground. This says from the ground adjacent. In effect the height restriction slopes with the ground.

Not just decking. If the platform (4x4) is bigger than the cabin (3x3) the extra bit will look like decking to the planners. So that area must just be open beams no decking on top.

I think we need a diagram of what you would like to build. Here is my interpretation of the situation. If it's way off have a go at producing one yourself..

and here is an enforcement notice (again in England).. https://www3.havering.gov.uk/Documents/Planning/Enforcement-notices/2014/3-austral-drive-hornchurch.pdf

This is about England and possibly dated (2010) but.. https://www.gardenlaw.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=13067 So it seems the height of decking on sloping ground is NOT measured the same way as an outbuilding.

Did you pay the deposit by credit card? If so you should be able to get the money back from the card company. Contact them asking what you need to do to claim under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. Keep copies of any paperwork or email you have and from now on. If you paid by any other means it will be difficult to recover anything. You would need to find out the name of the administrator/receiver and contact them to register a claim but you would be an unsecured creditor so probably last in the queue. You should also find out if they really have gone into administration yet or are just telling you that hoping you will go away (not unheard of). If they haven't then you need to wait until they fail to install. Then give them written notice that if they don't install in say 2 weeks (by date) you will hold them in breech of contract. Finally after that you can go to small claims court and possibly escalate it, ending up with you sending bailiffs (or whatever they call themselves) to try and collect the money. However you do have to give them the opportunity to hold up their end of the contract before you can hold them in breech and go to court. There are fees and hassle going this route and it can be like throwing good money after bad depending on how much is at stake. Sorry but unless you paid by CC it doesn't look hopeful.

Which country are you in?

The height of the building might be ok but a verranda would count as a "raised platform". Raised platforms over something like 30cm high usually need planning permission. I'm not sure how they measure the height on sloping ground but if it's above the stream it sounds like it will be more than 30cm above ground everywhere.

If the garage isn't on PP drawings it must be being built under PDR which dont exist until after the house is constructed (I believe). So the vat man could say it wasn't lawful to build it at same time as the house and deny the reclaim on the garage. Why not get it added to the PP?