canalsiderenovation

Our architectural company just rung us today, the Council contacted them to apologise for the delay, they have approved planning and the materials and the full report will be with us at the end of the week (they have a backlog). Couple of conditions (which they think will relate to the ecology, bat boxes etc) but I so pleased the Council ignored the ridiculous comments from the consultancy stage from the Canal and River Trust who basically didn't like anything about the plans! Once we get the report we can then start to look at tendering and crack on with some major research, building reg plans etc and finding a builder for next year...... It's almost 12 months since we approached different companies, architects etc....

So we now had the follow up survey to check for roosting bats, despite the lack of evidence in the first report. I've just had an email: The survey was a good one. We found no roosting bats, and it was quieter on the activity front than we would have expected from the location. There were soprano and common pipistrelles foraging around the edges of the garden, and a myotis bat that was foraging along the bank behind the house. We didn’t see any birds nesting, but there was plenty of birdsong around us and some quite active blackbirds at dawn. I’m hoping to get the findings written up this week but there shouldn’t be any restrictions from bats, a generalised method statement is usual as bats have been known to just show up sometimes, but the only timing restrictions will come from the nesting birds as detailed in the original report. So, basically no issues. Annoying we had to pay for the follow up report to check for roosting bats even though there was no evidence, but there we have it. Hopefully we will now get a decision re planning as they wouldn't do anything until we had this....

Same here, building regs but not PP. Made some notes based on this discussion but will wait to see what happens with PP and our up and coming bat survey .... And I'm sure our architect may have some words of wisdom re building regs. We are off on holidays now for some sun - it's cheaper than our heating bills!!

Yes, just outside Whitchurch, Shropshire. There is a definite flow. Watching the boats trying to get under the bridge had provided much entertainment as the flow from the bywash pushes them the opposite way and then the have to reverse and straighten up. I'm sure it's created lots of arguments on family holidays and near divorces . . .

Crikey! Yes, I found actually if you can avoid needing to ask or consult CRT on anything it's easier. I'm also guessing discharge to a watercourse (canal) won't allowed. The Vortex seems good and low electric use too. Obviously we will need to wait for building reg plans and all perculation tests etc for drainage/soakaways and we are not on mains drainage...

We actually do have a flow as we have a bywash adjacent to the garden so it always has some flow to it. The likely issues are communication with CRT who are not the easiest people to communicate with, you need an application for anything with a large fee before they will even consider giving any view and when they were consulted on our PP application they had been less than favourable on their view of materials and design, even though the local councillor who visited supports it, all local neighbours support it and we had lots of favourable comments. Whether the local council supports their views yet who knows - we will wait til May.

I understand the septic tank cost £120 to be emptied for us (well the seller) and that was potentially not being emptied since the 70's, but the bungalow is on a half acre plot as well. We haven't had it emptied since then -last Easter although I know current advice say we should have it emptied annually. I've read good things about the Vortex and low electric use. In terms of discharging to a watercourse, wonder if Canal and River Trust would allow that? I'm guessing not as they are the most difficult, hard to communicate with people we have encountered so far and would probably want to charge as well...

Do you both have electric sewage treatment plants?

I'd read something about non electric sewage treatment plants, I think it was Clearfox but that they were v.expensibe.

Just another area I'm researching... I'm pretty ignorant to this, but when purchased the bungalow we had a drainage inspection which is an old brick one and "the septic tank is a single chamber with an approximate working capacity of 5m3. This size of septic tank is sufficient for the dwelling, but we are concerned about the depth of the septic tank. This septic tank is most unusual in that it has a working depth of only 0.5m. We are concerned that the shallow depth will restrict settlement of the suspended solids prior to discharge to the drainage field". Issues were also raised with blockages in the draining field and the foul drain which subsided/partially blocked. Prior to us purchasing last Easter the septic tank was emptied (vendor had never had it emptied to the sellers knowledge though it was a probate sale - if that's right it hadn't been emptied in 40 odd years)! Given our plans to extend up and our pending the ecologists/pp in progress we know we will need to sort this out as the septic tank will not be sufficient... What I'm confused about is the pros/cons of septic tank/sewage treatment plant. Can anyone share their opinion of each ...? Thanks

No, they never said it wouldn't it was a maybe, but to put in for planning and to see what they say. They'd already taken all photos of the inside of buildings lofts and submitted them and didn't want to say to have any surveys costing us £ if we didn't actually need them. These are local architects familiar with the local authority and planning officers do we trust their advice. Plans for a building with an inside swimming pool for a house less than a 5minute walk away close to the canal our architects did plans for didn't need an ecology survey!

Yes, you seem to have hit the nail on the head, along with the fact we have trees, ivy and water!

Thanks for this, need to check fully tj places he has mentioned.

The gaps under the soffits had a rag and brick stuffed in them either end since last year but he was able to take it out and push his camera on a wire through it to find the evidence of birds nesting from last year. The eaves of the roof - I've since looked and can't see any gaps on the eaves so they must be small. Unless bats have the ability to squash themselves into insect size I'm at a loss to see how this could be potential roosting area but will be properly looking at the areas he mentioned again....

We now have further clarification: The costs will be £430.00 + VAT, which is for three surveyors, and the time for analysis of the calls and writing of the report of the findings. I have spoken to my colleague and he is willing to take over as principal, meaning travel will be for the round trip which will be 44 miles at £0.55 for a total of £24.20, you will only be charged for one set of travel costs on any given survey, even if we end up coming from different areas for the survey. The potential roost features identified were gaps above the soffits and under the eaves of the roof on the east face of the southern half and on the western face of the northern half, and a gap in the mortar leading under the ridge tiles on the southern gable end of the northern roof. Evidence of birds was found in the gap between the soffit and tiles on the northern roof, but this does not preclude the use by bats in other gaps. However, as there was no direct evidence of bats found, and few potential roost features found, the bungalow counts as having low potential for bats, so unless we see evidence of roosting bats on the precautionary survey we will not need to do any more surveys. Having three surveyors means that all aspects of the building will be visible throughout the survey, so we won’t risk the county ecologist coming back to us questioning the findings of the survey. Hopefully this will be the end of it. Roll on end of May then.

Thank you I'll try there.

So, next stage bat survey. I'd asked for a quote and here it is. In the email the ecologist said this: Please find the quote for the precautionary bat survey attached. I have kept the references for “up to three bat activity surveys may be needed” just in case we do find a cheeky roosting bat, but I would hope that the costs would come downslightly in that case as we would be able to use fewer surveyors to focus on areas where evidence of roosting was found in the precautionary. Hopefully we will only need the one survey though. I'm finding the info a bit confusing so I've asked for clarity for the total price of this, including mileage based on my interpretation, e.g. are all the ecologists travelling together or not as three surveyors all in their own cars at 55p a mile will soon add up!! I think they mean 1 survey is £430 and we could need up to 3 surveys so potentially £1290 plus mileage each time they visit. At least once I have something more concrete I can shop around. As I said before they had no real evidence of roosting at all, the scratches on the fascias which were from birds nesting.....

We did so much work in preparation, so many trees have been cut, ivy pulled up and removed, and the out outbuildings are cleaner than some houses. We no longer have the pond either..... I guess my worry is of course there are bats around the area, they definitely aren't nesting in our house or outbuildings (outbuildings have a flat roof) but it is still a worry!

They've got us as point D which could be birds (moss, twigs etc on pic he took) could also potentially be a habitat for bats too, and there were scratches on the wooden fascias which COULD also be bats or it COULD be birds! Lots of could be's and potentials...

Ecologist came today. A) No newts B) Recommending some temporary fencing is put up on grass adjacent to canal to stop any little creatures like water voles venturing out whilst building work takes place and getting lost/trapped in building work C) Standard lighting stuff applies (the irony when there is three great big floodlights already on the bungalow that light up everything) D) Evidence of birds nesting in fascias as underneath is hollow one end to other (knew this as we saw them using it last year but blocked it up end of last year with an old rag but he had one of those small camera things so took it out and removed rag and looked inside as there was moss etc inside). So need to leave this now til September just incase anything is nesting (there isn't as it's been blocked up)! and then do work after September or block it up with proper wood/nails to ensure nothing gets in it before we start building next year.... These aren't birds that the ecologist is bothered by, his words "probably just sparrows, blue tits etc". I know this is right as we watched them last year nesting there and there were little baby birds too but they are long gone. And the final annoying point: C) No presence of bats in loft, sheds etc, no evidence. HOWEVER, as our site is an ideal place and there could be bats we need to have them back (or someone back) mid May to do the whole look around dusk for bats and where they could be nesting as point D could be potential habitat for bats!!!! And there will be three people needed, one ecologist to look at the left hand side of the house, one for the right hand side and one to look at the front near the fascias that have a hole either side (that isn't a hole as it's had rags stuffed in either end since December)! If it wasn't so expensive I'd feel like making a joke about how many ecologists it takes to find a bat . . . . ? So first £400 plus vat spent and awaiting full report plus quotes for additional reports...

We have spoken to our architects who have been in touch with the Planning Officer, indeed they want the Phase 1 initial survey so that's where we are. Our architects do know someone locally and we reviewed a couple of the ecologist reports they did, one just round the corner for a swimming pool who got away with an initial assessment so we are happy to go with her. Our architects did say we could do our own research if we wanted but in their experience they have used her a fair bit and think she is good, and good for us. To be honest we'd just be doing our own research so would just be going off prices so perhaps local knowledge and advice pay pay off in the long run. That is another £375.... If we have to have Phase 2 I think that's another £860.

Its one of the consultees making a comment, not that we have been asked by the planning officer ..... Interesting. I'll chase this up.

I thought I'd post a general update. We had visits from producers and they wanted to proceed, however we were told in essence we would need to 'sack' our 'architects' who are actually architectural designers/technicians because they aren't RIBA qualified. Whilst the TV programme would pay for new architects this didn't sit right with us. They couldn't tell us who they would pick other than it being a great first class company from Manchester or Liverpool, and we just didn't feel this would work for us (as well as the fact we would have had a bill anyway for plans being drawn already)! Our local ones we picked after having lots of architects, architectural designers and technicians round, both local and national and the RIBA ones were the ones we felt completely disillusioned with. Nothing against RIBA but the architects we had with RIBA qualifications just seemed to have their own agenda and didn't actually demonstrate much listening and were significantly more expensive too. The couple we have currently live less than a mile away and we have worked together since September to get where we are, they know planners, have met with councillors for us, local builders/tradesmen and one was a year off her RIBA qualification when the owner of the firm passed away suddenly and the other is more on structural design. More than anything we just didn't want to sack them when C4 admitted the plans were great, it was just the lack of RIBA qualification! Combine that with my long list of questions about timescales and what if's, I think they were worried and we were worried we were almost being set up to fail from the outset, already being under pressure with unrealistic goals for filming so we kind of all came to an agreement not to proceed. We may not get the heavily discounted items but we will get something on our terms and hopefully that we can control not being under pressure. Good job really as the news about this ecologists survey now is going to cost a bit and probably delay things...

Its so annoying. So far we have had to have a Heritage Assessment, 33 pages of rubbish, luckily one of our two architectural designers is qualified in conservation and was able to put something together quite quickly based on local historical knowledge of the area. As yet the Canal and River Trust are yet to comment as part of the 'consultation' and they are another one who we are expecting issues off. Its a good job mentally we had resided ourselves to the fact we would be unlikely to start the build this year (mainly due to any good local builders being booked up already for summer). At this rate I'll be pleased if we start next Spring.

FFS, not what we wanted to hear. No idea how much that is all going to cost. I guess we need to start researching and getting prices. No doubt our architects will know someone but I'll also contact the council and find out more details. I don't know if they are saying we will need all those phases or if they just want the initial ones .... Thank god we went a bit gung-ho with the chainsaw recently and cut down lots of trees that has the potential to be problematic.