mjc55

A North indicator would help (and would be required for a planning app!)

The plan shows them on North facing roof along with roof lights! Although they are not shown on elevations only roof plan.

a lot of glass on your north elevation! Also, solar panels on the North elevation?

What is the neighbour actually saying? Is he disputing the boundary or just refusing to co-operate?

Where does the 160m come from? Edit: Apologies, thread title! 160m that's bigger than our build, probably bigger than a lot on here!

We are in Dorset and have been quoted just over £7k for a connection. Needs to come across the lane so will require road blockage (I am assuming with traffic lights) I haven't heard of this rural grant, must check that out! Quick google seems to indicate that this is some sort of farming grant, couldn't see anything for private connections!

Was going to ask about the problems with an 8m span, as savasteading asks why cant you add a wall?

I submitted a number of applications for clients from about 2012 until about 2021. All of the applications were in Wiltshire and not once was there an occasion where discussion did not take place with the planning officer. I did a couple of applications for acquaintances late last year and early this, again in Wiltshire, and there had seemed to be a change in the way things were working. The applications were processed by junior members of the planning team who put forward their findings and what they deemed to be the decision to senior planners before the actual decision was made. When I was submitting applications it was always a waiting game to find out which officer was dealing with an application, it was at this point that one could understand how much of a task an application might be. This was in stark contrast to BR applications to the LA where a much more pragmatic approach was taken. Obviously building regs are a much more proscriptive thing but that didn't fully explain the difference between the two functions. The idea that now no discussion between applicant and planning department can take place is preposterous and if that is the case then the planning system is failing and something needs to be done to fix it.

To be honest I am uncertain where you are going with this! Are you saying that you think it reasonable that they do not engage or simply stating that in some cases they don't?

I don't get the posts above where people are saying some authorities will not discuss applications, how is this possible? This one!

Wiltshire, where I used to submit applications, stopped pre-apps about a year or so ago. Dorset, where we have a planning app in charges about a grand for a per-app! I don't get the posts above where people are saying some authorities will not discuss applications, how is this possible?

Less than £800 per sq. m. That's good going!

Can you clarify that you are asking about the size of the glass unit within the frame NOT the size of the frame within the opening in the wall? In other words you are just replacing the glass. Sorry to be pedantic about this but there is a difference between ordering a new window and replacing the glazing within the frame.

So you are just talking about the glass not the units? My answer was based on the size of the opening that the window unit fits in not the the size of the glass within the unit, sorry.

Earlier you said I read that as meaning that zoned UFH allows this to happen, sorry! So open doors mean that there is no real differential if multi zone closed doors allow the set temperature of that zone to be in charge?

That is why we want to zone the UFH to be honest.

We are building single storey!

But would you want all rooms to be at the same temperature? I am just thinking about UFH and looking at different zones (very early in the process so open to anything). So would you want a bedroom to be the same temperature as a large kitchen/diner/lounge area or the same as a TV room? This is where I don't quite understand how it would work! I suppose our natural flow (us not the UFH!) would be from bedroom to kitchen/diner area to diner/lounge area during the day (with occasional trips to the loo). Back to the kitchen/diner area later, on to the TV room late on and finally back to the bedroom. There would be two spare bedrooms - although one would be for office/sewing etc functionality. We would probably want to keep the utility room a bit cooler (food etc.) So how would this work as a single zone? Obviously in a house that is near to passive as we can get it, it could be said that the UFH would hardly be needed. And we are also planning for a wood burning stove in the lounge area. One other thing to factor in is that we are fresh air fiends - we ALWAYS sleep with a window open (I do accept that this practice could possibly change in the new house) and we plan to have a lot of glass at the back (West) of the house and would, in all likelihood have this open in the afternoon. So, would the one-zone solution work given that?

generally 10mm smaller than opening = in both the x & y planes. That way should the opening be not quite square there should be sufficient leeway to fit the window in with packing where necessary.

Had a chat with a quarry on Portland today. Price currently around £60 per metre for 600 x 600 and £80 for 800 x 800. Thickness does increase for the larger size so he said around 40kg for the larger. Obviously a lot more expensive than the "Egyptian" variant but still is worth considering, if only for eco reasons.

OMG, really. I suppose that if people are that gullible but in reality it is about time that volume builders were bought to task over their claims.

I have been considering whether to go for a building notice application rather than full plans and thought I would take a straw poll on here. So how many of you didn't bother with a full plans application and how many a building notice? Who went for one and wished they had gone for the other?

Apparently most Portland limestone does come from Egypt! Supplies from Dorset is fairly limited (and regulated) and therefore very expensive. We are hoping of sourcing as much as possible from as close as possible for our build but early lesson learned here!

We are thinking of using Dorset Limestone throughout in the new build. Would like to use large sizes but at the moment it seems 600 x 400 is the max we can see online. Does anyone have any idea if we can get any bigger. Ideally located in Dorset. As an aside we just phoned a tile suppliers found on google to see if they could get bigger. You can imagine our surprise when we were told that their Dorset Limestone comes from Egypt! 🙄

when you talk about "local quarry", what exactly do you mean. Is this separate to suppliers of concrete? Sorry if that is a daft question, I was assuming that "ready mixed concrete supplier" was the best to search for!