Temp

I think Part 4 of the GPDO is also what allows builders to live on site so I don't think he is in breech of planning just by living there. The planners would have to prove he's not carrying out operations (eg not building). That might seem difficult but suppose he claimed progress was very slow because he had a bad heart or other health problems - then that might be good evidence he can't be a building. Children can't be site workers either so presumably he's not got any kids living there with him? If he's been there since 2008 it won't be long before he's been there 10 years. However I think he has to be in breech of planning for 10 years before the council loose the power to take enforcement action. If they consider that he has been a legit site worker all this time then the 10 years hasn't started yet :-)

In which case I would make sure you choose a stove that doesn't tar up it's glass. We have two wood burners, one is a Clearview stove and the other is a European made fire insert. Both burn the same wood which is usually a well seasoned mix of oak and ash. The Clearview is great but the fire insert manages to obscure it's glass rapidly. If used all day it would need cleaning at least every other day. Some say you just rub it with newspaper, well no way would that work for me. It's not dry soot, its more like the sticky tar you sometimes find on a beach. We have to use something like HG stove glass cleaner to get it off and it's a very messy job requiring plenty of protection for you, the floor and the fire surround. There is also a nice stainless steel gasket with sharp edges to be cleaned.

Perhaps not the best wood. It burns a bit fast and can produce a lot of tar.

Google found this.. https://www.pitchup.com/how-start-campsite-caravan-park/ and then. Elsewhere it suggests the rules for camping in tents is more restrictive than for caravans.

Now that you mention it, it does look a bit like one of those devices used to collect a sample from a horse.

You can indeed but don't forget the substantial fees. Near us a farmer leased some land to a man who said he wanted it to store machinery. Short while later the man applied for planning permission to put a caravan on the site and live in it! Section 24 of the planning application forms requires you to either a) declare you are the owner or b) that you have notified the land owner. Interestingly its the owner on a date 21 days before the application that matters.

Looks like they have a thing like a plastic bag inside that forms the one way valve? Seems like an ideal place for stuff to get bunged up.

Have an "open day"?

Those recycled plastic posts look interesting. If possible avoid using standard 75mm/3" wooden fence posts, the bigger 100mm/4" posts last a lot longer. When I put in 40m of post and rail on my own I hired one of these to do the holes.. http://i0.wp.com/www.tvtoolhire.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Hydraulic-post-hole-borer.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=242%2C242 The standard way to do it to use the bucket on a digger to push them in.

Martin Goodall has referenced the case.. http://planninglawblog.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/basement-excavation-may-not-be.html The court referenced an earlier decision involving a farmers reservoir. That also decided the excavations were a separate activity (perhaps because he sold the sand and gravel dug out to make the reservoir). On the other hand a case involving an excavation to form a hardstanding for a driveway was not considered a separate activity.

This court case (Regina (Eatherley) v Camden LBC - 2nd December 2016) may have implications for extensions that require "engineering work" such as excavations... According to the Law Report in todays Times (19/1/2017) new basements under existing houses aren't always Permitted Development. The case concerns someone who built a basement then applied for a certificate of lawful development which was granted. Then a neighbour took the council to court. Court ruled that council was wrong to issue the cert because the engineering aspect of the work wasn't covered by Permitted Development. The court decided that there were several aspects to constructing a basement: The enlargement of the dwelling aspect, the alteration of the dwelling aspect, and an engineering aspect. The latter included excavating a space and supporting the house and it's neighbours. The court ruled that Class A of the GPDO allowed the first two aspects under Permitted Development but not the engineering aspect.The council "should not have asked itself if the engineering works were part and parcel of making a basement but whether they constituted a separate activity of substance" for which planning permission was required. It sounds like the court considered the excavation to be a separate activity, one that is necessary to make space for the basement, but not part of the process of constructing the basement itself. I think that could have implications for people who need to dig into a hill or just level some ground in order to make a space for an extension?

Perhaps take it down more like 5-6mm to give some clearance. Perhaps add a brush strip so any small stones are swept out of the way when door opened?

or perhaps pay someone to do it for you?.. http://nationwidediamondgroup.co.uk/concrete-grinding/ There are probably videos on youtube.

Never used one but seems you can rent a concrete grinder.. http://www.jewson.co.uk/tool-hire/concrete-cutting-equipment/floor-preparation/products/2045/floor-grinder-110v/ "For floor preparation and refurbishment work i.e. line removal, concrete level reduction, paint removal"

8% per year tail loaded.. https://www.codeinvesting.com/investment-opportunity/?cbid=HABLand

When we compared the cost 10 years ago the break even point occurred when trench foundations would have to be 2.5-3m deep. Ended up with a mix of strip foundations under our house and piles under the garage. The latter being needed to protect a tree.

Recirculating types don't usually extract the steam/water vapour where as those that vent outside will get rid of it.

Perhaps I'm wrong but 8% sounds high for a property backed loan. Couldn't he borrow at lower rates from a bank?

Could be worse - he might have insisted on piled foundations.

Yes that should work.

No that's not what I was referring to. Normally if a developer builds a house the sale of that house is VAT exempt and the developer can reclaim the VAT he paid on materials with his quarterly VAT returns. However suppose the developer can't sell the house and decides to rent it out instead. In that case there is a little known clause that means the developer cannot reclaim the VAT on the materials he has purchased to build the house. See.. http://www.wrightvigar.co.uk/vat-new-build-residential-development/

I think the VAT issue on new houses rented out only applies if you are a VAT registered builder. See "Reclaiming the VAT" on this page aimed at developers... http://www.wrightvigar.co.uk/vat-new-build-residential-development/ It suggests that if a VAT registered builder let's a new house rather than selling it he can't reclaim the VAT he paid on materials. I don't think this will apply to you but perhaps check.

What Crofter said about VAT. You won't be able to reclaim VAT on materials you buy but the builder can if he buys them. So perhaps get him to do everything not just the shell. I recall there might also be a VAT issue on houses built and then immediately let out. will try and find more on this.

I'd report it to Amazon now. Explain you placed an order and paid via Amazon but then received another email telling you to pay by bank transfer instead/as well. Ask Amazon to cancel the order you placed through them and refund payment. See also this page. It seems to be known as the A-Z scam because of the additional letters in the email address. https://www.getsafeonline.org/theoneshow/

I am user cwatters on this thread... http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=12337