lizzie

I know a firm of Chartered Town Planners who cover a good part of the workload of a neighbouring authority. Its not menial or clerical it is the planning side of it. I also know several (former) senior planners at a different authority who after taking their ‘package’ now work freelance for their former authority who outsource planning work to them. None work in the offices of the authority employing them, they work from home/their own company offices. They are paid as professionals per job just as they would be by a private client although they may do discounted rates for volume work. That is a different scenario to contract or agency workers as in social work or supply teaching who often come via a third party agency and are paid less, the pension and employment rights are one of the main drivers for employers using that type of arrangement. Near me JLR are very big employers, most of the un and semi skilled staff are ‘agency’ and can be laid off at a moments notice without penalty, they have no employment rights. There has been a lot in the papers recently about changes to stop this exploitation. I know a senior social worker, took a big fat redundancy and is now back working at her old desk via an ‘agency’.....nursing is rife with this too. I know several senior nurses who again took the big package and now back running their old wards for more money via the agency. Its a scandal really.

Some local authorities do already use a bit of private sector help, Its not uncommon for cases to be outsourced to local planning consultants and to former LA planners who were made redundant and have set them selves up in business. Somehow LA budgets seem to cope with paying consultants rather than salaried staff.

Mine is from Porcelanosa. I’m sure others do them. Love mine its so sleek and easy to clean. The tiled bit lifts out so you can clean underneath.

@Ferdinand I wont be taking up that quote for external blinds, its more than the Internorm windows cost! I am looking at other solutions for what is a real problem area. I found the old thread linked above and have read with interest, I also found a later one where Jeremy was thinking about replacing the glass with solar glass so from that I am presuming film only good as far as it goes...... Internal blinds are an issue to fit and look good on my big slider but in any event would only do part of the job, awnings I dont fancy and they would be difficult to fit and make look good, ditto on brise soleil. My areas are all South and South West facing so full sun. I guess I can always hope the British weather takes over and the hot sun is a rare visitor! Otherwise short term a few large garden umbrellas may do the trick!!

I’m researching the film......I keep seeing things online that say avoid film if you have triple glazing. Presumably those of you that have the film have not had any issues with it fitted externally on to triple glazed windows. The spec on the sample received today only gives info for single and double not triple.

I think I may have a solution.....just waiting on some technical feedback. Will let you know.

Thanks @PeterStarck i will contact them to ask what the difference is with THE80 and vista. I’ve got the sample stuck on the window so will live with it over the weekemd. Did they install for you or did you diy? Is it difficult to get right as diy.......air bubbles etc

@PeterStarck I have had a sample from this company now but what they have sent is called THE80 and has a blue tint. Is this what you had or is there a different product? I didnt ask for a particular product when I rang then just the external film and gave them window spec. Its the girl in the office that has sent this so maybe I need to be more specific? I’m not sure about having blue tinted windows.

That looks very neat.....even with the saw LOL

@MirandaPoth thats a great idea if you are still at the stage to cater for it. Sadly I am not, we explored that look and it would have worked (I have the special heavy duty plasterboard everywhere anyway) but what stopped us on that idea is our internal wall reveal depth is 70 and that is exactly the amount that the handle on the window juts out so we have not got enough depth to cover handle with blind hence only option I am being offered is surface mounted on the wall over the window. TBH I would rather do without blinds than take that option! I don’t give up easily so am still looking.

Yes they are exactly what I want and you have hit the nail on the head I cannot find anything slim enough to fit the bead on the fixed part of the door.

Sadly not its a decent spec but it includes a lot of wasted money on poor workmanship and correcting errors that really should have been picked up at the time ...and really I shouldnt have had to pay for but teflon builders all paid in full. No one in the building industry seems to take responsibility for their mistakes. I am foolish and was trusting, now I trust no-one. It has been an expensive lesson to learn.

Looking at options for blinds.......internal. Has anyone fitted blinds to their Internorm sliders? I’m getting quotes but I’m not getting the look I want which is mounted inside the frame not outside the frame sitting on the wall above. The problem seems to be the very narrow gap that is between fixed window and slder as it moves across so needs something very slim to fit in. The perfect fit type look is what I am after but those blinds not suitable for use with internorm as they dont have a gasket to fix the workings into, they are really designed to be fiitted into upvc not internorm glued in glass. I didnt like the integrated option from Internorm but I am beginning to wish I had gone for it as it gives the sleek look I want......too late now. Any suggestions?

ex land sadly!

@ultramods I’m definitely in the + category and some!

We have an mbc slab and put a french drain around our perimeter. I think it was dug at the same time as the rest of the drainage channels were done which was after frame was up roof on and windows in. Before cladding and render as you say. Due to various delays we didnt do our sevice trenches until a few months later and render and cladding was on by then but by that time all we needed to do was come down the drive from our gate to the house and along the back alleyway where all the services entered the plant room.

@Onoff I’m with your SWMBO 100% on screwdrivers!

Its to minimise solar gain and without having to have the lights on all day LOL I have huge solar gain issues on my south and west facing elevations even though I have good overhangs the sun is so hot coming through MVHR struggles to keep temp down to an acceptable level. 28-30 degrees in living area is not unusual. I have internal blackouts in my bedroom and its hot as hell in there and I rarely put them up, have to keep en suite window open to let heat out. I do night time purge ventilating and that rather negates the reason for mvhr for me as the clean air aspect was more important that heat recovery. If external blinds/films are beyond budget now then I will be buying a few large garden umbrellas to deal with this years problem while i save up.

Thanks @PeterStarck they are based in Alabama USA so I have contacted them and asked for their UK agents to get in touch. Will let you know.

Good luck with mediation. I have done a few mediation hearings face to face but they were on big cases. Only had one telephone experience. Its a bit disjointed with it going to and fro but mediators job is to try and find a resolution to keep it from clogging up court so they are motivated to get the parties to 'meet in the middle'. It wont go against you if mediation fails but it would not be looked on kindly if you refused mediation so its the right thing to try it. Not sure of the stats on success rates on mediations but certainly a good percentage are not successful.

This my ball park quote As an indication of budget cost, for our Antiguan External Roller Blinds, finished in any RAL colour metalwork, with motorised operation through a handheld remote control, with any material from our premium solar control Twilight mesh dimout 297 or World of Sattler blockout 338 fabric ranges (see link: http://www.cbsolarshading.co.uk/external-roller-blinds-fabrics), installed using our std face/side fix detail, you would be looking at a guide price fully installed, tested, commissioned and certified (subject to site survey) of: Living fixed - Width 1150 x height 2125 = £3,100 inc vat Living slider 1 - Width 3500 x height 2170 = £3,500 inc vat Living slider 2 - Width 2000 x height 2170 = £3,300 inc vat Living slider 3 - Width 2300 x height 2170 = £3,300 inc vat Bedroom slider - Width 2300 x height 2170 = £3,300 inc vat Dressing room fixed - Width 1050 x height 2125 = £3,100 inc vat En Suite opener - Width 1050 x height 2125 = £3,100 inc vat Hall fixed - Width 1675 x height 2125 = £3,200 inc vat SPECIAL OFFER - Save £480 off the cost of each blind if you select our most popular Anthracite Grey RAL 7016 fine textured matt or White RAL 9016 smooth semi gloss for the metalwork (hardware). The next stage (if our budget cost meets with your approval) would be for us to organise a full site survey, where we would run through everything in detail with you including showing physical samples of the system (hardware), fabrics etc so you can see exactly what we are proposing and you would be receiving should you progress and so we have all required manufacture details. Join thousands of satisfied customers… A proven track record (established 1987) Dedicated purely to the field of exterior solar shading Products made in our state of the art UK production facilities Installations carried out by our own highly skilled teams of technicians Genuine expert advice from real shading specialists who love what they do

OK folks I'm looking at the solar film now thank you @PeterStarck for the link. Just had a ball park quote for external blinds on 8 windows and its over £26K...more than the Internorm windows!!!

Ive got quite a bit of this and its rusty. I will have to get rid of mine shortly its sitting in next doors field and he will start moaning soon. Is it reinforcing mesh for concrete? Is it no good if rusty?

@Moira Niedzwiecka hurrah very well done. I’m thrilled for you. Enjoy your moment both of you it looks fabulous. x

I totally love my bora. Just this minute finished cooking a steak (for my poorly woofer). I think its the best hob I have had to date and I have had a few inductions. I have flexi with recirculation and it works like a dream.