The Reverend

Some very good suggestions on here and some no so good. It is Marestail / Horsetail and you do need to keep on top of it. Like Ivy it's best sprayed young before the wax coating hardens, bruising the leaves (weed wiping) is the commercial way of treating it using Glyphosate 360 and an adjudicative like Validate. I have had good results with SBK brushwood killer and Validate but it is suggested to use Kplus(https://www.progreen.co.uk/blog/how-to-get-rid-of-woody-weeds-with-sbk-brushwood-killer/) Burn the weeds and please don't put them in the compost or council green bins as this just spreads the problem.

just hoe around the plants you want to keep.

This is how I would like to see building up in the UK

@Jim30 Hi Jim, How far away are the services as this can add up. I don't know about ICF or floor frames but £3000 seems low. We are also planning to do a lot of the labour and coming in at a projected £2000/Sqm but had to make some tough choices long the way and said goodbye to the log burner and zinc roof.

I believe any department can apply for Section 106 money provided it is linked to the area in which the development is occurring. There has to be an improvement and not to subsidise that which should be done as maintenance. For instance I could not pull down some rusty railings to replace them or paint them but I could pull them down and replace with a dry stone wall costing 10 times as much. @SteamyTea I'm an advocate for building up not out. Cardiff has just approved building on farm land to the west of Cardiff and 3 farmers have not had their tenancy renewed so building has started.☹

CIL is, in my opinion, a bribe (in many cases) for Councils to grant inappropriate planning approvals to commercial developers. I understand that Councils need the money to invest in shops, schools and public amenities but they get this through Council tax anyway. The vast majority of new builds in my area are green field developments with hedgerow and woodland being destroyed and why, because it's cheap. Lots of profits to be had from lower construction costs and higher retail prices for out-of-town housing. Building on brownfield sites has demolishen costs, decontamination costs, recycled materials cost and disposing of waste costs. Plus increased costs for upgrading sewers and other infrastructure which means delays in profits for the developer. Better to bung the Council a large brown envelope full of cash and be able to build what where the rest of us would never get planning permission for even a modest home.

Hello, Welcome to the forum

I think you will have a big problem with solar gain if you are going for near passive house (haus) standard. Shading options may look out of place so you will need to budget for heat reflecting glazing. ASHP can work (check heat geeks video) with surprisingly little room but not sure about below ground level as this could be a cold/damp well which may reduce efficiency. Lots of people on here with real world experience though.

Cats & pigeons get ready! We are a long way off planning the wiring runs for our new build but a recent conversation with our electrician neighbour got me thinking about 2 way and 3 way switches for bottom/top and exit out of rooms. The details aren't important unless we have to squeeze 9 cables into a switch box but remote controlled (not smart) light switches have been around for many years so is it time to do away with the wired light switch. I'm sure purists would say no and youngsters (under 50) would get with the times but I don't know if it would be allowed under building regs. What do you think (he says lighting blue touch paper and retiring to safe distance😁) Thinkbee MINI Wireless Light Switch Kit, Quick Create or Relocate On/Off Switch for In-/Outdoor Lamp up to 1000W, No Wiring/Easy-installing/Portable/Waterproof Switch Remote Control Up to 1300ft,

Having a good giggle at all the banter.🤣 I don't see how anyone could (he says) argue that burning wood is not carbon neutral but using it and reusing on site for other things, studs, wedges would be best. I'm not sure that transporting the off-cuts to the local Council for them to put it on truck to move it to a pulping factory of wood chip manufacturer is better. Building waste, especially if it's treated can't go to composting for instance due to the nasty chemicals in it. I have worked for waste management at the Local authority so I have, on this occasion, an informed (semi) view.😉 but still open to corrections.

For the UK it would be 150mm I think but LABC says 125mm

My Accountant (Wife) has been very clear about what I claim for regarding VAT. HMRC has a web page devoted to self build VAT reclaim but the short version (Rules of thumb), you can claim for items that form the fabric of the building. So nails and screws but not sandpaper or tools, you can't claim VAT on labour so if you buy a "package" it's a single item but if you employ a builder you can only reclaim the materials. Ask for any bills to split the materials and labour so you can reclaim part of the cost. There's lots of information on the self build magazines or HMRC itself but you will need an interpreter 🤣

This may help https://www.labcwarranty.co.uk/technical-blog/a-step-by-step-guide-to-level-thresholds

The difficulty you will have is pooling, creep and wind driven rain. A common practice is to use a ramp up to a plateau and then cross the thresh-hold, see your local council flats entrance. I'm going to face the same issue but hoping a french drain in front of the doors will solve the 150mm issue.

"In an emergency situation they can take steps to remove the danger immediately. " The Council will say this is a private matter as it's not close to a highway and won't want to get involved. I understand your concern but there is very little you may be able to achieve and you still have to live next door. Maybe write to your neighbor expressing a concern about damage from unintended consequences such as the trenches collapsing or acro failure and keep a record that you sent it. Ask for permission to speak to the builder if you're concerned. It may be pushing it but ask if the building/builder is insured but by the sound of it it's unlikely, I feel for you because it seems there is a risk of damage to your property.