kandgmitchell

As a self builder haven't you been told to get the professionals in when your skill set isn't enough.....

So is the barn already converted and lived in or is it prospective conversion waiting to be be done by you?

No - it's a reference number for the chamber - you should also have a list of the nearby chambers together with their cover level and invert level and hence their depth. Not is all lost - I once dealt with a rear extension that had a 1500mm dia surface water sewer running up the shared driveway between the applicant and his neighbour in St. Albans. It took a while to sort out and cost him more than you'd want but not silly money. Approval was given by TW and it got built.

Well I don't know about Scotland - it doesn't work quite like that in England. Section 78 of Building Act says: Dangerous building—emergency measures. (1)If it appears to a local authority that— (a)a building or structure, or part of a building or structure, is in such a state, or is used to carry such loads, as to be dangerous, and (b)immediate action should be taken to remove the danger, they may take such steps as may be necessary for that purpose. (2)Before exercising their powers under this section, the local authority shall, if it is reasonably practicable to do so, give notice of their intention to the owner and occupier of the building, or of the premises on which the structure is situated. Having exercised those powers I can tell you that some covered up drains wouldn't have given cause to carry out emergency access. Indeed para (2) is clear that efforts should be made to contact the owner before even those powers are used. As to general health and safety matters on a building site the enforcing authority is the HSE not the LA - they deal with offices, shops restaurants etc. All a BCO could do in the face of a blatant safety issue being carried out on site is to contact the local HSE office. Obviously if there is a construction issue that needs dealing with then the usual approach through building regulation legislation would be required.

Thanks for the heads up.

Right another finishes query having had a firm vote on fitting stairs. I've seen advice on older posts to put skirtings down onto tiles so as to hide the edges. Can see that logic (although luckily I'm not tiling this time). However, we have an open plan floor layout with one third carpeted and two thirds tiled. Obviously I'd want the skirtings to be level throughout. So if they go down after tiling they are going to be the tile + adhesive distance above the screed in the sitting area where the carpet will go, with the risk the gap will be seen. Is it a case of running down the skirting to be used in the tiled area? There's a lot of it!

In England the Building Act gives authorised officers of the LA the right of entry to premises in respect of building regulations. However, unless it's a factory or workplace 24 hours notice of the entry has to be given to the occupier. I assume Scottish law has a similar provision probably in the Act that sets out the framework of the scottish regs

I guess the OP is trying to avoid the problem of supporting the inner leaf of a cavity wall along the line of the flank wall of the existing garage. The outer leaf will be built up off the garage wall but the cavity and inner leaf will be hanging in the air. That'll involve a beam at floor level that needs supporting or digging the garage floor up. Be also aware OP that you're close to the boundary so consider the unprotected area and spread of flame issues for all that timber weatherboarding/timber frame.

If you are in Welwyn aren't Thames Water your sewerage undertaker? A 600mm dia is a Class 3 sewer - you'll be paying a whack then! How deep is chamber 3702?

I can see where that was going! many thanks

Don't see why not. If the local ground conditions require a 1.0m min. dig, odds are that bit in the middle will fall over anyway. Be cautious about undermining the existing foundations of the house by digging too wide where you abut though. Is that a drain bottom right?

Reaching that stage of thinking about the finishes. We need to install our own staircase and I have it designed and priced ready to call off. However, the hallway is to be tiled and the stairs will be open on the underside. Do I tile the floor first or allow for tile and adhesive, install the stair and tile to it? Thoughts on a postcard please........

Consider this from the Permitted Devlopment order: Permitted development A. The enlargement, improvement or other alteration of a dwellinghouse. As well as under minor operations: Permitted development C. The painting of the exterior of any building or work. So if you can paint the exterior walls of your house vivid purple, the improvement from white to grey windows shouldn't get your "neighbour" upset!

Well I'd argue that Class A of PD allows "the enlargement, improvement or other alteration of a dwelling house". The change from door to window doesn't affect the subsequent list of "but not if's". The internal conversion isn't development anyway. The potential fly in the ointment is if the original approval for the dwelling contained a specific condition requiring the garage to made available for parking a car. That was not uncommon in the 70's/80's. You would then have to deal with that point. Some research may be needed especially if the original approval was for an estate of houses. Even if all OK you'll still need a building regulations submission.

Yup, kept the cats in deliberately just to avoid the inevitable...............

I agree, I realised my groundworkers weren't as experienced in the reinforced raft field as they claimed but they worked hard, listened to my concerns when required and more importantly acted on them. A clear understanding of the process was key but by god was I relieved when it all worked out right in the end!

Well the perimeter was set by the vertical edge insulation. My ground workers used a laser level with a square of ply attached to their staff which they used to keep checking the concrete surface level, a little crude but it worked. The two pumping guys handled all that side of things so we could concentrate on the spreading, compacting and levelling. Yes pleased with the end result - probably no more than 10mm out of level looking at the subsequent rainwater on the surface. We now have the attached sitting on it - that's four days work for six men and a crane.

The exact wording is: (development is NOT permitted if...) (d)any part of the structure would be within 2 metres of any boundary of the curtilage of the dwellinghouse with a highway So, any part of the porch has to be at least 2 metres from any of your boundaries which abut any highway. So, a mid-terrace house would have one of those scenarios, a house on a corner may have two such boundaries to consider. It is only boundaries with a highway not neighbours. It also cannot be more than 3m high nor more than 3m3 in ground area (measured externally)

I've had this today as well - just dropping out and stating site can't be reached - timed out etc.

Just a thought. That composite cladding needs to be at least Class B-s3 d2 spread of flame classification. The external wall needs 30 minutes fire resistance from both sides. Your fireline plasterboard should be ok for the inner face but the composite cladding is unlikely to allow the wall to be fire resistant from the external side. My thought is it will need a cement based board behind the cladding. You will need to check this with your SIP provider. The door off the garage just needs to be an FD30S door with a closer. Also BC may want a landing at the top of those steps that is not obstructed by the door.....

Neither take priority over the other - you have to comply with both. You can use having to comply with one as a lever to get a concession out of the other but there's no obligation on their part to play ball. If your planning approval has a condition that you build in accordance with the plans reference x,y and z and you haven't, then you may wish to regularise this to avoid issues in the future. It all turns on just how much the change is from what the planners approved. If it's minimal and just a bit smaller - would I bother? probably not. If it's significant or you're risk adverse then go back to the planners with the changes.

We paid £138/m3 for 27m3 of C35 concrete (plus vat which we'll get back) so about £3K and £700 for a line pump plus two operatives for a day.

Those were the days. Regulation K8 Height of Habitable rooms, last seen in the 1976 regulations I believe. This and lots of other stuff (remember zones of open space?) was swept away when the 1985 re-cast of the whole system brought in the Approved Document approach we use today. It set a minimum height of a habitable room at 2.3m. On loft rooms it said: Provided that, if such room is wholly or partly in the roof of the building, it's height shall be not less than 2.3m over an area of the floor equal to not less than one half of the area of that room measured on a plane 1.5m above floor level. And that was the law - set out in the statutory instrument, non-compliance was an offence. The only way to overcome a shortfall was to apply for a formal relaxation which had a process all of it's own including an appeal to the Secretary of State upon a refusal by the LA.

Well it isn't difficult for them as the AD to Part H says: Pumping installations 2.36 Where gravity drainage is impracticable, or protection against flooding due to surcharge in downstream sewers is required, a pumping installation will be needed. 2.37 Package pumping installations are available which are suitable for installation within buildings. Floor mounted units may be particularly suited for installation in basements. These should conform to BS EN 12050. Pumping installations for use inside buildings should be designed in accordance with BS EN 12056-4. 2.38 Package pumping installations suitable for installation outside buildings are also available. Guidance on the design of pumping installations for use outside buildings may be found in BS EN 752-6. 2.39 Where foul water drainage from a building is to be pumped, the effluent receiving chamber should be sized to contain 24-hour inflow to allow for disruption in service. The minimum daily discharge of foul drainage should be taken as 150 litres per head per day for domestic use. For other types of building, the capacity of the receiving chamber should be based on the calculated daily demand of the water intake for the building. Where only a proportion of the foul sewage is to be pumped, then the capacity should be based pro-rata. In all pumped systems the controls should be so arranged to optimise pump operation.

Conservation never stick to the standard consultation time - they're probably off on a course about the application of wattle and daub construction in a modern post brexit holistic environment......... The case officer will just plod on, they may chase conservation or ecology if it's vital to consider their comments but don't be surprised if either parachute their comments in at the eleventh hour and you're being asked for an extension of time!