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I agree with @Russell griffiths that this extra layer is just reducing surface contact with the pipes. Your vapour membrane is enough of a slip layer, allowing the screed and pipes to expand slightly together. An extra layer sounds like it'll do more harm than good, it's not the screed will then slide separately over the top of the pipes, so what can it achieve? How large is the area? You won't even get 0.5m2 per bag at that depth so will have your work cut out mixing quickly enough to ensure it ends up as a contiguous slab. Buy more than you need as you don't want to run out. Have you enquired with liquid screed companies? Some can be poured very thin and will give you a guaranteed result.

Isn't the membrane usually laid below the pipes?

Was pretty much ruled out. If you're A and bid 60 on Monday and Tuesday but look over at C being paid 200, how much are you going to bid on Wednesday?

Are you leaving them fully open? I usually open a valve like this and then back it off maybe half a turn.

I recently changed my view on this - I used to argue you might as well wait, because the cost to buy the battery was coming down fast enough to balance out the usage savings. Right now though the balance has tipped with battery prices look more uncertain and export tariffs making it more cost effective to use your own stored energy. An ancillary benefit of installing now is that it should improve your as built SAP rating by a couple of points.

I agree you need to protect against this financial risk and I wonder if it's a sign the seller really means subject to a scheme they like being approved. The biggest benefit of buying both plots is only realised if you're going to develop at the same time - sharing costs for prelims, groundworks, services, having same trades on both at similar times, less material waste etc so I'd focus on just getting the most out of the plot that works best for you.

From that diagram my guess is there's a gasket that slots vertically down each side - any chance you threw it away when unpacking? I can't believe you're expected to plaster into that. Hopefully Eclisse can point you in the right direction!

Regardless of their merits it's also worth considering 1/ how mortgageable they are, as they may count as non standard construction (affects both you and any future buyer) and 2/ how easily you can find experienced contractors, or will your builders learn on the job at your expense and maybe have issues

I'd guess brick slips, based on other photos where the ceiling joists meet the brickwork at heights that don't match the coursing. Have you tried asking the architects? They'd probably just tell you. I wouldn't want to run cables in the cavity.

We used a non hydraulic lime with fibres (from Ty Mawr) that adhered very well to woodfibre boards and was easy to work the mesh into. It's premixed and was good value compared to dry bagged products, has the advantage of much longer working time, but the disadvantage that you have to manage the drying out period over a few days, giving the occasional damp spray. We removed any gypsum plaster but didn't have much anyway and I can understand you not wanting that extra work. If you've lots of layers of modern paints though they'll probably add risk.

Balcony solar is a great idea and countries like Germany have proved it can work, but there will have to be much stricter policing of imports than we've seen for eBikes and scooters or any decent size apartment building is bound to end up with some panels that don't meet regulations.

Worth mentioning that leaving any protective film on kitchen cabinets for too long should be avoided too. After over a year we had a few areas that were quite sticky (worse on bits we'd peeled off slightly). Luckily warm soapy water was enough in our case.

Cottingham vs Attey Bower & Jones is one reason conveyancers usually push for indemnity policies (as the conveyancer was held liable for £40,000 of damages) Well a quick search throws up this enforcement action in respect of a loft conversion after 12 years, again with costs in the region of £40k, so I'll stick with my description of 'low risk' rather than 'no risk'. There's simply no good reason not to seek cover from the vendor. Of course, none of this internet point scoring should distract that in the big picture, lack of building regs approval is more likely to highlight a risk of work done poorly than a risk of legal action.

@Roger440 I think we've both made the points that 1/ the risk is low, 2/ the cover is cheap and 3/ that it doesn't cover defective work. Isn't the only point of difference that one of us would ask for the cheap policy and the other wouldn't bother?

So the inspection chamber and pipe were both in place before the neighbour bought the property? As the chamber is unadopted I'd start by having a conversation with the neighbour, outlining this was put in by the builder ready for connecting to your property and letting them know you want to apply to connect to it. Be clear that after adoption the water company will be responsible for any problem with the chamber or the sewer, and that while you don't expect any work on their property is needed, you'd reinstate/compensate if it is. Hopefully the neighbour will be reasonable. One thing I've bumped into is that adoption may limit what cover is allowed - our water company wouldn't adopt unless we swapped ours from a recessed one you could lay blocks into for a flat cover that's not so aesthetically pleasing. Water company may well want you to install a storm attenuation tank even if they do allow rainwater into the sewer

Typically it's mortgage lenders who care, which may or may not apply in @WhiskyInTheJar's case, but may apply when they in turn need to sell. Lenders need to cover the small but tangible risk of enforcement action requiring works that devalue the property (and it's worth buyers asking for the same) The risks are low ( especially this example) but say next door make a large subsidence claim and it turns out your uninspected extension foundations undermined them then enforcement action would likely follow.

Bit late to this but I think I'd have preferred to seat the rafter on the 30-35mm you already have and supplement that with some substantial metal connectors. That would keep the plane of the roof flat. A company like Simpsons can probably suggest a connector (I joist rafters can be attached without any birds mouth after all) Won't raising the rafters at one end like this give you trouble later as there'll be a bit of a bow on your roof battens - hopefully not enough to stop individual slates sitting flat. With what you have, I'd still want a better mechanical connection between rafter and wall plate and would nail not screw (unless they're structural timberlok or something) for more shear strength. You need to be a bit careful you're not fixing your rafters mostly to the thin timber and leaving your wall straps holding down the wall plate below it, but not so much holding down the roof itself.

I agree this is the more likely explanation. Tell your conveyancer you don't think that's sufficient proof and you require a copy of the completion certificate, or (given it's some time ago) an indemnity policy from the vendor. These are cheap and easy for the vendor to obtain (but only cover you against enforcement action, not defective work). If your conveyancer is reluctant then ask if they'll indemnity you themselves based on having given advice - I'm pretty sure they won't.

Warranty providers now want to see compliance with ventilation for solar. For example NHBC guidance changed last year to treat in roof solar as impermeable. If you do want to full fill below the membrane you'd need to batten above for ventilation. Any single manufacturer could certify their system doesn't need ventilation (not sure any do though) but I don't think you'll get that assurance for warranty fitting trays and separate panels.

While I'd happily carry out a simple fix, I'd want to bring this to the attention of the developer anyway as it's sloppy, dangerous and unlikely to be the only example. The live and neutral visible at the back should have their outer sheath on too outside the fitting shouldn't they?

It might be worth asking Fakro themselves about flashings. Alternatively might their combination windows be an option for you? The sloped window meets a vertical directly at that junction. Velux do similar.

For a ground level patio I'm not sure they'd be much better than tile pedestals, which are probably quite a bit cheaper.

Maybe you could suggest to highways (and your local councillor) that this is an opportunity to solve an accessibility issue for these existing properties too? Is there's room for a convenient collection point for multiple bins ?

Have you asked them what about the project makes them unwilling? How have you determined they're incapable? I'd try and answer those questions before shopping around too much further or burning bridges with anyone already approached.

I'm surprised this hasn't come up at an earlier stage! No personal experience of piling but if you're only 4m away then I think it's likely the party wall 6m rule @SteamyTea linked will apply as you'll presumably be piling quite a lot deeper than the bottom of their foundations. In your case say they've a 1m strip foundation and you're piling deeper than 5m then PWA will apply. Bear in mind that you, not the piling company, will be liable to your neighbour for any damage to next door when taking the pilers advice. Have you already spoken to the neighbour at all about your piling?