Great_scot_selfbuild

Ah - thanks for this. I had been focussed on the planning conditions so perhaps had s73 on my mind.

I need to submit a s73 non-material amendment (summary below) and would just like to see an example of one (any would do, but one that involves a change to an elevation would be most useful). Change will involve: Moving a window (removing one as we will now be putting a plant room in that location, and introducing a new one that will allow light into a kitchen store room/'pantry'). Slight increase in decking area to introduce a ramp which we will use to meet the accessibility requirement and improve usability. The house is not overlooked and won't impact on any neighbouring amenity. Thanks in advance

@CaptainDram search for your local ‘definitive map’ this sets out the authoritative road status. I used this information in my access strategy.

Hopefully you have all these questions covered off already, but from my limited experience I found that my architect focussed very much on the design without much / any regard for building regulations or tedious details associated with local plans and policies. It seems that some architects (thankfully not mine, but certainly some local to us) seem to specialist in getting through planning, regardless of whether the design can actually be built. With that in mind, here are some questions I'd start with: 1. Is this a bare plot or is it for a replacement dwelling? (especially relevant in a conservation area) 2. Have you got pre-application planning advice? We had this without even submitting a plan (we were expecting a 'no' regardless of what we put in), and although the answer was predictable, it proved valuable to cite that we had followed all the guidance for getting pre-app advice, and di help us frame some of our submission to address directly the main areas of concern (with something to reference against). 3. Alongside this, have you had transport/highways pre-app advice; we did this the second time around and they were far more engaging and helpful than the planning team - the input really helped our application in being successful on the second time around (I've searched a couple of councils and they seem to offer this as standard). 4. Does it meet the minimum space standards for room sizes? https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6123c60e8fa8f53dd1f9b04d/160519_Nationally_Described_Space_Standard.pdf 5. Have you checked your council transport planning policy guidance? Some examples: Surrey guidance - https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/parking/strategy-and-guidance/development-parking-guidance#section-5 Oxfordshire guidance - https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/sites/default/files/file/roads-and-transport-policies-and-plans/PARKINGS.PDF Having read far far too many planning applications in the 2.5yrs it took us to get approval, a very common condition I've read refers to being able to leave and join the public highway in a forward gear (regardless of what the existing street scene looks like!). Although they're certainly not cheap, if this becomes show-stopper, search for car turntables - you may just have to re-prioritise your budget if you find yourself presented with this challenge. https://www.ukturntables.com/diy-car-turntables/ 6. Garden amenity space standards (each council has a space standard) - what is yours, is your architect thinking about this, and how are they going to present your design case forward? 7. Are you using a planning consultant at all? (mine cost £3,050 for first submission which was money well spent in our case) 8. What will be your solution for drainage and wastewater? (are you able to connect to mains drainage & waste? - if not, what is your architect's plan for factoring this in?) Hopefully you've got all this issues boxed off and my comment isn't needed. Best of luck.

@Berkshire_selfbuid if you were willing to share a little more publicly, please consider dropping some of the self-build magazines / the NSBRC, pitched as a ‘near miss’ type of event. I guarantee at least one person would benefit from it. Magazines: Build it Homebuilding & Renovating Design Buy Build NSBRC - not sure if they have a publication / advisory information resource.

@Berkshire_selfbuid “trust but verify” - I had to part company with my PM after following this principle (not CIL related). Made me realise I knew enough and had the capacity to just do it all myself (especially with support from this community, which has been invaluable).

@Berkshire_selfbuid the big question now is… what are you going to do with the £127k you're just saved 🤣

(Don’t rest until you get the reply that acknowledges you’re exempt and amount due = £0.00; and then the for that acknowledges you’ve commenced. Then you can enjoy all the other challenges!)

@Berkshire_selfbuid very pleased for you indeed. Do you need any help with the forms? (Can share my examples if you wish) Suggest you put both names (you & your wife) on the form, or at least consider it.

@Berkshire_selfbuidTake up this with point your MP & councillor. It'll be difficult, but be very objective, factual and succinct in setting out your situation and facts - as much as you have a right to be angry and emotional (which can come across when you meet them), you want the written statement of the issue that they leave with, to be really easy for them to take on and get actioned. One suggestion - write out your situation in full (especially adding the comment by @Alan Ambrose above) and then get Chat GPT to re-write it for you. Caution: I think Chat GPT works ok to give you a starter for ten, but I find any output needs adjusting to put it into your 'voice'). For example, this is what it did using just your first post... ******** Website: https://chatgpt.com Text entered into ChatGPT (Short intro then copy/pasted your first post) please re-write the following into a short brief to my MP setting out the situation:I'm currently part way through my self build (started Sept 24). The local authority emailed me today (9th Dec 24) notifying me that they are aware that works have commenced and that the CIL forms 2 and commencement notice have not been submitted. Therefore, if works have commenced, the full CIL charge plus additional surcharges have become due immediately plus additional surcharges for failure to submit the required forms. This is £124,000 plus £2500 surcharge!!!! I can see in the email chain that my architect was reminded in Oct 23 and again June 24 to complete the form. He never sent these to me. I’m a first time self builder so am not experienced to know the process inside out. Had I of known and been contacted directly by the local authority, I would have filled out the forms. I competed a demolition notice as requested on the local authority portal and sent to BC before commencing in Sept 24, I assumed this was all that was needed. Someone please help! I don’t know what to do Chat GPT response: Certainly! Here’s a more concise, formal version of your message that you can send to your MP: Subject: Urgent Help Needed Regarding CIL Charges and Surcharges for Self-Build Project Dear [MP's Name], I am writing to seek your assistance regarding a serious issue with my self-build project, which began in September 2024. Today, I received an email from the local authority notifying me that they are aware work has commenced, but the required CIL Forms 2 and commencement notice have not been submitted. As a result, I am now being charged the full CIL liability of £124,000, plus an additional £2,500 surcharge for failure to submit the forms. I have reviewed my correspondence and found that my architect was reminded in October 2023 and June 2024 to submit the necessary forms. Unfortunately, these forms were never forwarded to me, and as a first-time self-builder, I was not aware of this specific requirement. I had assumed that the demolition notice I submitted via the local authority portal in September 2024 covered all necessary notifications to Building Control. Had I been directly contacted by the local authority regarding these forms, I would have completed them promptly. I am now faced with a significant financial burden through no fault of my own, and I urgently need advice and support to resolve this situation. Could you kindly advise on how I can proceed or help me liaise with the local authority to seek a fair resolution? Thank you for your time and assistance. Kind regards, [Your Full Name] [Your Address] [Your Contact Details] This version is more structured and highlights the key points, making it easier for your MP to understand the situation and potentially offer support. *********** Combining the additional detail, context of governement housing policy etc. I think it could do well. In setting the task you can constrain the length by stating 'no more than 2 sides of A4, or number of words, or how long it takes to read (I thought I was going to have to go to committee and had it turn our planning statement into a speech lasting less than 4 minutes - gave me a great starting draft).

@Berkshire_selfbuid I have to agree with @SBMS I'm afraid (caveat: I'm no expert, and have only read up a lot on this having had my planning consultant put the fear of god into me at the start about CIL). In my case, my planning consultant and architect both very clearly exempted themselves from anything to do with CIL from the outset. What I've read elsewhere does suggest that councils are really (unnecessarily) punitive in their pursuit of CIL from self-builders who have fell foul of the process by mistake, so as well as contacting a solicitor (which I think will be money well spent, even though you may feel you can't afford it atm), I would also contact your local councillor (and MP) and try and meet them (with a follow-up visit to site if they're happy). Although the council will be just 'following the process', the councillors exist to support their constituents and as a self-builder you're not a developer out to make a quick buck. Although technically carrying no legal weight, getting the councillor on side with your situation could be valuable, the new government's focus on addressing the national housing crisis is well timed for you to leverage it in support of your situation. CIL isn't nationwide - not all councils implement a CIL, so it is in fact a choice - this combined with it being a policy (not statutory law applies nationwide) means that they could exercise the right to make an exemption. Very best of luck.

Our challenge was different (aren't they all), but reading your situation it sounds similarly difficult to my experience at the outset, so I feel like there is relevance in the strategy and approach I took. Here was my approach: Manage your expectations, risk appetite and budget - essential first step imho. Our expectations were: assume 12mths to get a refusal, prepare appeal (6mths), then go for appeal (18-24mths) whilst submitting second application but in general assuming it will take the worst case duration. Planning consultant (judged it to be a '50:50' chance). Initial visit and assessment cost £250. Architect (having approached a PC with local experience gave us a lot of credibility here). Developed a design, got all the possible surveys done and prepared an application. Our architect made a scale (physical) model - not specifically requested, but OMG it proved valuable! Wrote to all neighbours PRIOR to submitting application and local conservation group etc. Met those that wanted to and answered any/all questions (some had very strong objections, but our transparency and honesty were appreciated; they still objected, but we were fine with that and were happy that we could discuss it in person first). The physical model was invaluable in conveying the proposal to the neighbours and conservation group (much better than a CGI, which can appear too realistic and lacks the ability for ambiguity/interpretation. Submitted application... Lessons - engaging the neighbours in advance was one of the best things we did; it was based on how we would want to be treated if we were neighbours. For what it's worth, I'd take one of 2 approaches: Option 1 - no initial outlay Write to neighbours - set out situation and proposal. Although technically neighbour comments only carry weight if they are raising 'material planning considerations', the reality is that they can generate a lot of negative feel over a development and this can influence planners and/or committees. Some basic site information/maps/layout will help. Then approach planning consultant and the process above. Having some indication of the public opinion will be useful to the planning consultant and architect. Time is a great healer for people coming to terms with something that they may initially be vehemently against. The time it takes you to do the other activity will help them be more accepting of your design and detail when you go back to them prior to submission. Option 2 - Planning consultant fee initial cost Planning consultant initial site assessment. Broadly as above. Good luck in your approach.

Thanks for all the responses - happy that the feedback is consistently confirming that we need them, and like much of the BR, it's something we've just got to 'suck up' and get done. The company we used for the as designed SAP during planning proved competitive then and we got more quotes for the construction phase and they're still competitive, as well as being good to deal with. Although the technical detail and calculations interests me, I think this is something that will be good to have done professionally for us and add value to the huge amount of data we'll have compiled by the time it's built - I figure it'll add value in the end. We're just going through the process of selecting our timber frame manufacturer atm, and finding that the budget cost juggling is a complex relationship of interdependencies but we're getting there and still on track for our target of starting in March. At the moment...

Are detailed Psi value calculations required for building control, and how expensive are these to get done? A quote for SAP calculations etc. includes a large amount required for detailed Psi calculations, but I thought this was only relevant if we were aiming for Passivhaus certification (because it came up in discussion). I want to know what the minimum is that we require for energy calculations. The quote in the proposal below mentions "The new Part L 2021 has removed the ability to use Accredited Construction Details for thermal bridging calculations. This means that the dwelling will need to use calculated Psi values for all thermal bridging junctions that occur in the dwelling ", but the way I read para 4.18 in Part L (see attached screenshot) implies there are standard values that can be used? (table K1 etc.) Situation: We're building a new house from scratch (no existing buildings). Seeking high performance structure, 0.6acph (MVHR etc) but not going for passive certification. Planning required 'as designed' SAP calculations to be submitted prior to approval - the figures submitted were estimates as the detail of material selection/exact suppliers for windows etc hadn't been decided on (in case we didn't get through planning). SAP Proposal received: ****************** Part L - Our fee for carrying out SAP energy rating calculations and providing a Part L1A (2021) BREL compliance report and a Predicted Energy Assessment to support a Building Regulation submission together with the provision of an Energy Performance Certificate upon completion is £x plus VAT. I have attached the guidance for photographic evidence which is required on all new build SAP Calculations under the new Part L 2021. The photos taken on site will need to line up with the psi value calculations which I will outline below. Part G - Our fee for carrying out the Part G Water Efficiency Calculations is £x plus VAT. Part O – Our fee for carrying out Part O Compliance Calculations under the ‘dynamic method’ is £x plus VAT. Psi Value Calculations – The new Part L 2021 has removed the ability to use Accredited Construction Details for thermal bridging calculations. This means that the dwelling will need to use calculated Psi values for all thermal bridging junctions that occur in the dwelling (I have attached a rough diagram which show you where these are). With cavity construction there are most of these details available to download for free depending on the method of insulation - https://www.recognisedconstructiondetails.co.uk/ . As this project is timber frame/SIPS I can produce a full set of Psi value calculations for project . Once calculated these psi values can be used on every project going forward so long as the construction remains the same. It is difficult to ascertain exactly how many junctions there will be at this stage. But roughly there will be: E2 – Lintels E3 – Window Sills E4 – Window Jambs E5 - Ground Floor (Normal) E6 - Intermediate Floor E11 - Eaves at Ceiling Level E12 – Gable at Ceiling Level E13 – Gable at Rafter Level E14 – Flat Roof E16 – Corner wall detail E17 – Corner wall (inverted) detail R1 – Rooflight Head (We can likely use the default figure and not calculate this junction) R2 – Rooflight Sills (We can likely use the default figure and not calculate this junction) R3 – Rooflight Jambs (We can likely use the default figure and not calculate this junction) R6 – Flat Ceiling R4 – Vaulted Ceiling Depending on the final construction method I would expect a couple of the junctions not to be needed. Roughly there will be 13 (16 with rooflights) junctions on the project. Our fee for producing bespoke calculations is £x plus VAT per junction (this will not be required for traditional constructions in line with the recognised details link above). So roughly speaking the fee for this work if it’s a timber frame project will be around £x plus VAT. I appreciate there is a lot to take in on the new regulations so please feel free to give me a call If you would like to discuss anything. A unique SAP calculation is produced for every dwelling to meet the requirements of Part L (2021) of the Building Regulations. Our fee includes advice on cost effective compliance and value engineering based on client needs; the provision of Predicted Energy Assessments (PEA’s) and BREL Compliance Reports signed by the SAP assessor to support a Building regulation submission. Once construction is complete, we will produce the As Built BREL Compliance Reports, and offer a same day turnaround for generating Energy Performance Certificates (EPC). Arcadian Architectural Services Ltd issue EPCs via an electronic link, from which you can access the EPC and download for your records, or we can provide pdf copies. If alterations to the issued design stage BREL Compliance Reports are required as a result of specification or layout/design changes, additional fees may be incurred. Our fee may be subject to change under Approved Document L 2021, pending Government guidance on the implementation of photographic evidence required for thermal bridging. With effect from the 15th June 2022 to achieve construction approval, Building Control require evidence, through photographs, throughout the build process of all thermal bridges. Photographic Evidence is the responsibility of the builder/developer and to be provided to your Energy and Sustainability assessor as construction progresses. For more information refer to Appendix B of the revised regulations: Approved Document L: Conservation of fuel and power. ****************** Appreciate your experience / advice.

The electricity company form appears to want you to calculate it / show figures. There I was just wanting a quote for single phase or 3-phase.