Benpointer

Update: The Council's legal department have been in contact with our solicitors. They state that: "I understand that _____________________ are looking to take advantage of the self-build exemption from the Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) regulations. I have been asked to put in place the paperwork to secure the necessary planning obligations. Please note that that the Council have a standard Section 106 Agreement for this purpose and amendments will only be accepted on a site-specific basis. I would be grateful if you could forward your clients evidence of title to the application site so that I can produce a draft for your comments and approval. Your clients will be responsible for the Council’s legal fees in this matter for which I anticipate being in the region of £1000 (no VAT). I should be grateful to receive your undertaking to pay these fees, either on completion or within two months of written demand. The undertaking should apply irrespective of whether the matter proceeds to completion. I reserve the right to increase my fees should the matter become protracted or more complex. Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you.“ So, to unpack that: it's a standard template that we can't change and they are going to rinse us for £1000 to put our names and the site address into that template. The words 'robbery' and 'daylight' spring to mind.

I'm no expert but I'd have thought the main living area is the obvious place. We're currently in a rather drafty rented place that is impossible to keep at a sensible temperature - it's either too hot or too cold. It's got oil-fired CH with rads in every room. The boiler/pump is controlled by a single wireless thermostat that you can move to wherever you like. This suggests two things to me: I am not convinced a single thermostat controlling a whole house or most of a house is a good thing. If you're going to have one and can't decide where to place it, how about a mobile wireless stat, then you can decide where it works best in practice?

We were planning on letting it silver naturally - we like that effect, had it on our previous house. We're now looking at Brimstone Poplar from Vastern. https://www.vastern.co.uk/timber-cladding/brimstone-poplar/ Poplar is noted on VMZinc's website as being compatible. https://www.vmzinc.com/en-gb/technical-support/general-technical-recommendations/compatibility

I wish it were so. But according to VMZinc's website cedar and zinc are not compatible: "Acidic products and products that can generate a galvanic reaction must not be used with zinc. Run-off from non compatible products onto zinc also must be avoided. In general, products with a ph lower than 5 and higher than 7 are not compatible with zinc.” https://www.vmzinc.com/en-gb/technical-support/general-technical-recommendations/compatibility

Damn and blast! I think we might be in danger of making a big mistake with our cedar clad walls above zinc roof. I've raised it with our archtect (though can't help feeling it should be the other way around 🤔)

Now you've got me thinking. How am I going to get the 3 WC soil pipes, 1 shower wast and 1 bath waste to the drain outside... on a single storey floor: B&B, 200mm PIR, 75mm screed? Here's a diagram of the drain positions with some red lines lines showing how they might connect to the drain outside but each of those soil pipes and waste water drains have to go straight down through the insulation and the B&B (through a block presumably) and all the pipework is in the ventilated airspace under the B&B - where it is inaccessible forever, so I'd better hope there's never an issue with it. 😱 Have I got this right? Is there a better way to do it?

We've considered that but, it's all about timing now. Will it take longer to draft, sign and deliver a S106 or to have a BNG report created and signed off by Environmental Services? Who knows!

The utterly ridiculous aspect of all this is that we're going to be planting about 20 trees in our 0.85 acre plot which is currently concrete and grass - no hedges, no trees, no shrubs, nothing.

Question for the BH Brains Trust: For our 170m2 single storey new build we will be putting in a floor of B&B + 200m PIR + 75mm liquid screed over UFH. We plan to have a couple of shower trays, shown dimensioned in the diagram below. Obviously we could put trays on top of the screed, and maybe we will, but if we wanted to inset the traays at floor level, do we just box off the floor in that area and not screed it, then set the tray on the VCL over the PIR? Presumably on marine ply or some water resistant strutural boards rather than straight on the PIR? (Obviously we will need to arrange for a drain to emerge through the B&B and the PIR in that area, and no UFH where the tray will be obvs.) Any suggestions gratefully received.

We're going for B&B rather than raft because: a) large footprint (180m2), b) heavy clay and risk of heave, c) we've 0.75 acre to spread the spoil so no muckaway costs. Yes, it will be baltic under the B&B but with 200mm PIR who cares?

Our planning application appears to have been caught by this. Our planning consultant received an email from the planning officer: "You’ll be pleased to hear I’ve assessed the application and will be recommending approval, subject to ironing out final details such as agreeing conditions/obligations... The other outstanding issue is that the Council have been informed that if a self-build BNG exemption is being claimed a Section 106 legal agreement (S106) is required to ensure it is self-build and the case officer must instruct legal accordingly. The S106 will need to be signed and sealed prior to the determination of the planning application. Therefore, I’ll need your agreement before I instruct legal to generate the S106. In addition, if you able to provide details of your solicitor that would be helpful. Also, I’m obliged to tell you there are costs to the applicant associated with this as well for the instruction and monitoring of the agreement. Whilst some previous applications using the self-build exemption did not use a S106, it is now a Council-wide approach, that I have no choice but to request such." That was two weeks ago. We provided our solicitors' details the same day. Since then we've heard nothing. I reckon every week delay costs us £500 in rent 😞

@mjc55, did you explore this approach with Dorset BC? I ask because we are facing the same issue, and we're also in Dorset. Thanks

You think the foundations for a 50s/60s bungalow were 'designed'? When we extended and refurbished a 1960 bungalow, having built a big, well-insulated extension we had intended to gut and radically improve the insulation of the original house. But as we started to dig up the concrete floor to put in a new insulated floor we quickly found ourselves below the original foundations, which only seemed to be 500mm deep. At that point discretion got the better of valour and we quickly repaired the floor, accepting sub-optimal flooring heat losses to avoid walls falling down or expensive under-pinning.

Also, just taping up the TP10 should give me a sufficient SD on the inside surely?

Tbf they seem to want to insist that the inside layer SD value is >= 5x the outer layer SD value. Our outer layer is likely to be 11mm OSB/3 with an SD of 2.5. So we just need a VCL with an SD of > 12.5 or more. DuPont AirGuard Reflective has an SD of 2000 so should more than be sufficient. I have put that build-up to PYC to see whether they are ok. The problem is on Ubakus that build up gives an insufficient drying reserve.🤷‍♂️

We're now investigating blown cellulose (254mm), with a layer of PIR on the warm side to get us to u = 0.1. However, the Warmcell distributor (PYC) are recommending that we'll need Smartply Propassive on the inside and Medite Vent on the outside, which would add £20 per m2 to the roof cost and that's before we factor in the cost of the blown cellulose itself. Given we will also have to have a 50mm ventilation gap then 18mm ext ply above the roof to take the zinc we would end up with 3 timber board layers in the roof: Smartply Propassive, Medite Vent and 18mm ext. ply. That seems like overkill to me - not sure why we can't go with a suitable VCL below and 9mm OSB3 above the cellulose. Ubakus certainly seems to think it's ok: The alternative might have to me mineral wool between the rafters rather than cellulose, which is a shame as I like the idea of blown cellulose. (-:

As a full time wheelchair user this kind of b******s really p****s me off. I came across the incredibly restrictive stuff in part M4(3) about kitchen design (worktops capable of being raised and lowered, no cupboards under a sink or hob etc.). This is rank 'ablesplaining' - able-bodied people deciding what disabled people need. Fortunately, our planning consultant and architect say we can ignore part M4(3) as we are not specifically designing a "Wheelchair User Dwelling" even though its going a be a dwelling occupied by a wheelchair user 🤔 On topic IANAE* on building regs obviously but I can't see anything in part M that says you cannot have a WC lid. I suspect it's an invention by low-lifes who think they can sell a few more shabby cut-price loos by calling them "Part M compliant". Rant over 🙂 (* I am. on the other hand, an expert on wheelchair use and I would always want a lid on a toilet.)

Brilliant, thanks!

Apols - I have tried searching BH for the answer to this but remain confused. Can I get a grant for an ASHP installation in our new self-build (in Dorset, England)? Thanks

Thanks - more good advice. This thread has helped me a lot, and as you summise I have now got to a position where I have a good degree of confidence in the company concerned. The risk is not zero of course but it's no longer going to keep me awake at night.

I've now spoken to the Commercial Director. She's talked me through the company structure and history, and given me as much confidence as I am ever likely to receive that this is a long-established ongoing family business in good health. So I am going to sign up. Thanks all!

The classic - a timber frame. I will talk to them about risk mitigation options but I assume the up front payments are for materials so I am not sure an escrow would work.

Question to @Alan Ambrose or anyone else who feels able to answer: If, following the advice above, I find the company I am considering committing a fair chunk of up front money to is: quite small, reporting regularly and on time, only has three directors who are clearly members of the same family, saw it's retained earnings fall last year by 15% and those retained earnings are only 4 or 5 times the amount I am going to commit for... By Alan's advice, I should be cautious. But... If the company in question (call it A) is owned by, and has a charge due to, an ultimate holding company (call it B) with the same three directors and that holding company's retained earnings are 80 times my required up front financial commitment, and increasing... Can I then be reassured? Can company A go bust leaving a trail of unpaid creditors while it holding company B walks away with a big fat pile of cash?

Mrs P. has fallen in love with Pluck: https://www.pluck.co.uk, particularly their HPL / FENIX doors (is FENIX a brand of HPL?) Fortunately there are others who do the same doors for, hopefully, lower prices: Husk will provide this kind of door for carcasses bought from Howdens, DIY-Kitchens or even IKEA, apparently. Still in the early research stages atm. Going to see Husk in Bristol in a couple of weeks. Whatever, doors we choose we'll be looking for Blum ironmongery - very solid.

Coming to this a bit late but if you're still logging in from time to time @thefoxesmaltings ... I see you used Turners and had some vaulted ceilings - if you don't mind me asking, did you insulate below, between, or above the easi-joists? And where did the vapour control layer go? We're thinking of using Turners but I just want to get my head around the roof detailing. Thanks