canalsiderenovation

We've applied for full planning permission. As part of pre-planning advice we had to have a heritage statement and design statement submitted with planning permission even though we are not in a conservation area, but are adjacent to the canal because of the canal bridge. Despite the farm past us being accessed via the canal bridge they were concerned re weight (despite tankers, tractors and farm machinery using it daily) . . . And now, just logged on and along with the favourable comments from neighbours, there is this added under 'consultants' comments, now in preplanning they mentioned the flying vampire critters but we submitted pictures and our architects were confident that that would be it. So what the hell does all this mean: SC Ecologist Comment Date: Wed 06 Mar 2019 Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA)<br/><br/>A planning application on this site must be accompanied by an Ecological Impact Assessment of the land in and surrounding the proposed development and a discussion of any potential impacts resulting from the development. <br/><br/>An Ecological Impact Assessment should consist of:<br/>' Extended Phase 1 habitat survey, habitat map and target notes on any significant biodiversity or geological features including species, habitats, designated wildlife or geological sites and the Shropshire Environmental Network.<br/>' A desk study of historical species records and local, regional or national wildlife designated sites.<br/>' Supplementary detailed surveys (phase 2 habitat surveys, protected or priority species or geological features as appropriate to the site).<br/>' Evaluation of the importance of biodiversity or geological features present at a local, regional, national, international level.<br/>' Analysis of the direct and indirect impacts of the development (during construction, working area, additional infrastructure and post construction).<br/>' Any losses or gains to priority habitats or the Environmental Network should be stated (hectares).<br/>' Proposed avoidance, mitigation or compensation measures, including method statements where appropriate.<br/>' Legal implications such as the need for European Protected Species Mitigation Licences or other licences (e.g. badgers) and details on how the favourable conservation status of populations of protected species will be maintained.<br/>' Proposed biodiversity or geodiversity enhancement measures.<br/><br/>The Ecological Impact Assessment should be carried out by a suitably qualified and experienced ecologist with the relevant protected species licenses. The Ecological Impact Assessment should be submitted to the Local Planning Authority prior to a planning decision being made.<br/><br/>Finding an ecological consultant<br/><br/>A list of ecological consultants who work in Shropshire is available on request. This list is by no means exhaustive and contains information on other ways of finding a consultant. Shropshire Council cannot recommend any consultant or guarantee their work. <br/><br/>You should always check that the ecologist you select has the relevant protected species survey licences issued by Natural England. Without a valid survey licence, the report provided by an ecologist may not be considered adequate by the Local Planning Authority.<br/><br/>It is always wise to seek several quotes since prices can vary.<br/><br/>I am happy to be contacted by the appointed ecologist to discuss the application prior to survey work being carried out if that is helpful.<br/><br/><br/>Please contact me, or one of the other Ecology team members, if you have any queries on the above.

I'm going to have to revisit an Internorm showroom and really look into the profiles again, we have a few options, one close to Market Drayton, one on the Wirral and one in Staffordshire..... I wish I'd taken pictures now when I went to the showroom and the build-it show at the weekend... We wouldn't have curtains at all on the windows.

Any pics would be great thank you. Luckily those with blinds would be in the front and those without would be in the rear and none mixed and matched in the same room. I guess I'm just curious if you can mix studio with home pure and if this is noticeable from outside. Upstairs isn't an issue as we have all skylights....

We really like the slim profile of the KF200 or even KF500 studio but for the front of the house where the living room/kitchen/dining room looks onto the canal and is a suntrap we want integrated blinds, and our budget won't stretch to having integrated blinds on all windows. I don't particularly like black bit on the glazing of the KV440 but the KV350 only comes in home pure and ambience, not studio. So can you mix the KF220/500 Studio with the KV350 Home Pure/Ambiance - will you be able to tell the difference?

We were looking at Accoya which was far more expensive! On the plus the plastisol corrugated sheeting is quite reasonable and this is just for under the balcony and porch thank god, I couldn't do a whole house in it at those prices.... That said we still have the render on the lower half which isn't exactly cheap either, but we will look at alternatives to K-rend etc.

If I've got it right the Trepsa was around £80m2 (that's the top one in the pic and the oak effect) the wood on the bottom is the Rockpanel in beech and that was £65 m2. This is just prices from the two companies which sent samples, as we need to come up with some material ideas to submit with planning. I'm just trying to get firm information on warranty/guarantee for both to do a better comparison....

The corrugated stuff isn't shiny, it's my camera flash on the phone, Its matt not glossy and plastisol pvc coated from https://www.excelclad.co.uk/excelclad-corrugated-143-169-p.asp You're as bad as me with samples, it's been in the snow this week, left outside in ice too.

Cladding mission continues for the underneath of the porch and balcony continues. Has anyone heard of Rockpanel woods? We have Trepsa and Rockpanel samples we are quite taken with either, though I'm still clarifying guarantee and warranty for both. To show how it will look all together we will have a render on the lower half (example from K-rend but considering others), Anthracite RAL7016 windows on the lower half and Anthracite corrugated profile cladding on the upper half as the windows on the upper half are all skylights.... The Trepsa is the top one Rockpanel bottom one.

It is textured not smooth, the other samples I had yesterday were Rockpanel and smooth, though I quite like these too.

I've had a sample today of something called Vulcan Weathertone. Unfortunately I ordered the wrong profile samples and ended up with the shiplap profile which isn't the one we need but it's quite an interesting product compared with some of the other products as it's textured. The darker sample is the Dark Oak and the lighter sample is the Natural Cedar. For anyone wondering what it's made of the brochure says it's production process 'premium fibres of mixed hardwoods using the entire tree, breaks these down into 100% natural wood fibres, combines them with a 6% mix of resin, wax and alum and compresses them under extreme heat and pressure. The surface treatment consists of 5 separate coats of acrylic paint baked on a high temperature'. I've tried to upload some pictures so you can see it as I've not seen it mentioned before. One pic of each colour and me holding them both together so you can see the different colours.

Well our architects spoke to the council and they asked for lots of photographs of our loft and outbuildings first. I took about 100 photos and the architects have submitted them, the outbuildings are sparkly and clean as is the loft so they need to decide now if we need a bat survey as well. Our architects seem to think the photos may be sufficient. Like you, it will put the brakes on any build for this year if that happens. Keep me posted @janelondon

Thanks, you are right as we will have corrugated anthracite plastisol on the roof and top half, the bottom will be render in a white/limestone. The wood under the balcony and porch will be a contrast but I want like you say a synthetic alternative that will contrast with the rest of the house so don't want it to grey.... We also are having a solid front double door made (wood to be decided yet). I found the TrespaPura just a bit odd looking if I'm honest and less like real wood and given you will be pretty close to it under the porch and balcony that's a bit of an issue. I'm also waiting for samples from Vulcan, Teckwood and Vivixlap as well.

We still have lots of questions and I'd hate to feel we are pressurised into choosing certain things, e.g. kitchen, bathrooms etc and certain brands when I've done a lot of research already and have some good ideas too on what we want. I've got visions of it being like shopping with my sister in law, I'm looking at handbags in Primark and she is picking out one in Mulberry!

@D Walter did you come across any wood effect cladding that you thought looked particularly good? I'd got samples of Trepsa but didn't like any of those? I'm just worried about the natural greying on Accoya and other natural woods .....

Lots to consider and think about. Builder, architects etc are very keen, strangely even though it would put pressure on them re timescales.

Exactly! How do people 'find' an extra £50k....?

Grand designs would definitely not be us - it's not quirky enough, nor do we have a Grand Designs budget! I'd be worried as every project I've seen ok TV goes massively over budget.... Or perhaps they just add this in for dramatic effect.

Like @D Walter I have so much cladding I could probably clad our whole area from samples! One thing I'd say that is proving interesting is to leave the cladding outside, all samples have been outside now for a while in various weathers, albeit untreated. Accoya is like it was when we put it outside initially and looks great. The only thing is it would have to be stained to match the colour of our wood front door, and Accoya was too expensive to have a door made from it! Other wood alternatives like Rockpanel etc just don't look right... Boats erm, is it oak or some kind of Japanese cypress?

That's really useful, it wouldn't be Grand Designs, it isn't 'grand' or 'unusual' enough! Definitely do research then, sounds like there aren't many perks as such.

? Let me be clear it would be impossible for that to happen, infant a miracle!

This is definitely a niche question, but has anyone been on any house related renovation programmes, or knows of anyone that has and would share their experiences - good, bad etc If you had the opportunity would you? Curious if they are worth applying, you frequently see adverts after some of the shows on TV encouraging you to apply

I hope not! I've been driving myself batty (pun intended!) researching into everything bat related.... Couldn't see any signs but I may need to keep going up the loft weekly now, checking for mice and rats after the discovery of the rodent boxes ? and clearing out some of the junk we discovered today. We are also clearing out all the outbuildings, vacuuming and cleaning over the next week or so, we also cut down some more trees today.

We are in exactly the same position and will have whatever metal roofing we have on the first floor walls as cladding. We have samples of Tata, Euroclad and have been comparing general pricing. We also looked at alternatives like the Marley Eternit. We are now leaning to a cheaper alternative a plastisol covering metal from a local firm at a fraction of the price of Tata and Euroclad given that it will rust the same, it's all down to getting someone who is competent to install it! https://www.excelclad.co.uk/sheets--cladding-14-c.asp

Finally today, Boxing Day task, I ventured up the two lofts. We have one in the bedroom and one in the kitchen as due to the odd layout of the bungalow (basically two bungalows seperayed by a flat roof in between). The good news is that whoever installed newish loft insulation left the paperwork up there from a couple of years ago so there is lots of insulation, so everything was definitely disturbed not too long ago. Lots of spiderwebs and a random dead blue tit in the first bungalow loft, but can't for the life of me see how it got in (removed it), no obvious gaps but we did see birds going near the guttering, fascias and soffits in summer but no sign of anything in the loft. Lots of white boxes with 'rodent killer's on them situated all in both lofts (counted more than 10 in both so mice or rats perhaps, but no sign of bats). Second loft has chimney in it, again lots of spiderwebs which seem to have caught an abundance of wasps, so perhaps a wasps nest somewhere which explains why we had so many in summer throughout the house, though can't see any actual wasps nests or birds nests. We just have an old flat roof sectional garage and makeshift building to worry about that will be demolished, but the bungalow itself certainly has no obvious signs of bats in it, but I guess they could still be 'around'. Architects know someone who normally does their surveys so I'm just researching into who they mentioned. There is a local guy literally walking distance away who had permission passed for a swimming pool and gym building (who had the same architects), so I'm guessing he would have had to have a bat survey too, and let's face it a swimming pool is not exactly conservation friendly!

Ouch, sounds like it's a sore subject...