Mike

Indeed. Potentially within a few centimetres of it, meaning neither of you would be able to easily access your walls for maintenance in future. That would put me off buying your house much more than whether or not the neighbour had inserted a few bolts in your wall.

Particularly for a garage, I'd be looking to use a 2-part epoxy grout for extra dirt & chemical resistance.

What fixings is he proposing? Why not explore alternative systems that might be acceptable to you? I can't that his proposal is likely to cause a significant problem - and the access may make it easier for you if you need to clean out your gutter / repair the roof, etc., apart from the good will your consent would generate...

As there's no great distance or weight, I'd use 30 x 30mm steel angle iron on each face.

I've not used one, but a carbon filter (maybe in conjunction with an HEPA filter) should help.

I came across the Quiet Vent it in my research for a cooling solution. The cooler seems to be a version of the CW-5200 from Guangzohou Teyu Electromechanical Co Ltd (with added thermostat port), which is apparently well regarded for cooling industrial lasers. Another possible device that might be modified is the Waterchiller Hailea Ultra Titan 4000, a computer CPU cooler which claims to have nearly double the chilling capacity (3 300W) and is apparently much quieter, but it seems not to have any air duct connections - maybe not such a problem if installed in an attic. I'm planning to look at beer chillers, but so far haven't progressed beyond the beer For more conventional potential aircon solutions, my thread here may be of some interest.

I've just checked and my interpretation of the regs is indeed wrong! Regulation 9 exempts certain buildings, subject to Regulation 21 which puts heating / cooled buildings back in the regulations. However that contains another exception (that I'd forgotten about) for various structures including 'stand-alone buildings other than dwellings with a total useful floor area of less than 50m2'. However in the case of @starbuckhouse , the existing garage is 54m², so this exemption wouldn't apply. BTW being habitable (or not) isn't a criteria (the word 'habitable' doesn't appear in the legislation). Top marks for insulating anyway, Jeremy

And also whether it's to be heated (or cooled); if either then Building Regs are required irrespective of area or use. I imagine that it will be at least heated for winter use if it is to be used as a workshop? If so it will need insulating to the normal standards.

Might also be worth knowing about air spades.

That was the Dursley Tree House, which used these steel screw piles.

If I had the patience to learn the technology involved, I might well go with OpenHab, rather than tying myself to a proprietary system.

That was probably the Lifetime Homes standard: "Entrance level WC and shower drainage: Where an accessible bathroom, in accordance with Criterion 14, is not provided on the entrance level of a dwelling, the entrance level should have an accessible WC compartment, with potential for a shower to be installed – as detailed in the specification below." None, in the case of en-suites everywhere (but I suggested dropping it)...

Not sure quite what you're planning from your question, but you can't install a cistern within a partition; it needs to be in a separate boxing within the WC / bathroom (for access & maintenance, noise reduction, possibly for fire resistance reasons too). Provided you do that, no problem with the socket.

Did that successfully a couple of years ago. And put a 38x150 sub-floor underneath it. On the other hand I know of another which had been nailed together with so many nails that it was impossible to prise the panels apart - but you'd be very unlucky to find that.

Anything more than 1mm and I'd re-cut the skirting. I wouldn't use corner blocks.

Yes, provided you take normal precautions against dust.

Also see https://www.haringey.gov.uk/planning-and-building-control/building-control/building-control-applications/do-i-need-building-regulations-approval https://www.warwickdc.gov.uk/info/20375/building_regulations/580/do_i_need_building_regulations Building Regulations Part 6

The normal rule is that if energy is used to 'condition the indoor climate' then the building needs to meet Part L of the regs, whether or not the heating (or cooling) is fixed. There are additional requirements for installing fixed services, particularly covering commissioning (if applicable). But maybe there's an exception that I'm not aware of.

Typically things like the cost of a visiting site manager, providing WC, site accommodation & storage, hardstandings, skips for waste, keeping the site tidy, incidental plant & equipment, maybe scaffolding, maybe the provision of water & electricity...

Great picture! Another reason to use clay pipes...

A manifold & thin bore pipe will certainly help (and cut energy use), as will positioning the hot water tank near the main points of use. Also consider your hot water requirement - you only need cold for a washing machine or dish washer, you really only need cold for a downstairs WC (nobody waits for the hot to arrive, and cold + soap is as hygienic), and waiting a while for other uses is rarely a problem - you can always stack a couple of dishes or start brushing your teeth...

You could also look at limiting the opportunity for energy use - all-LED lighting, microwave oven (only) instead of traditional oven, scrap any baths and have only a shower, improve thermal insulation to PassivHaus levels...

Not sure that the Highway Authority would take an interest if it's private, but it may be enough to satisfy the planners, if there is little traffic. I once successfully argued that abundant on-street parking adjacent to a house meant that it was unnecessary to require the additional private space that their policy normally required.

No, mostly it doesn't - but an earlier planning permission (for the original house, maybe for an extension) may have been granted subject to a condition that the garage can only be used as a garage, as is the case here. In some areas it seems to be routinely applied to all new houses. In which case a subsequent planning permission application is required for conversion. Parking requirements do change, so if council policy now requires fewer spaces than they did when the condition was imposed, then I would imagine that it would go through. As @bassanclan says, in some places policy has completely reversed, limiting the number of parking places, rather than requiring a minimum number, to encourage the use of public transport.

You may find that the situation is worse; if the conversion is deemed to have been concealed - and leaving the garage door in place might suggest that that was the intention - then the 10 years wouldn't have started - see here. I wonder how that got missed in the conveyancing... Are you sure that you can't find space for a 3rd parking space?