Great_scot_selfbuild

I've literally only just bought it - we're a couple of weeks away from starting on site. As for what they use for charging, I've two views: 1. They should have their own solution to ensure they can work on site all day with their tools - either have enough batteries or have their own portable charging solution. On a new-build (bare plot site) they can't expect charging power supply. 2. In reality, by the time they are using battery tools on site, we'll have a temporary mains power and water on site, so we can have an area for charging stations.

We've just purchased one last week! In my dull little world this was a very exciting sense of progress. PSA photos of my 'ugly caravan' as I refer to it. To answer your question, the power supply is only suited to low output supply for mobile phone or running a laptop. I purchased from a company that manages and hires these out - they were selling off some old stock they've just replaced, and so I managed to speak with the mechanic who maintained them all - he advised that issues they often get from people who rent them are when the builders try to charge all their tool batteries from them, hence they stressed that they're not designed for that sort of loading/use as the plugs are running off the 12v battery, which the generator then charges up (rather than the generator powering the sockets directly). As for buying one, I found a fair few people selling them, but many screamed out 'scam' - basically my approach was that any offering free delivery (typically 200mile radius), stood out as one that would take my money and then find an excuse to delay and then block my number (I'm paraphrasing some examples of other people posting stories about how they were scammed). The firm I found had a full business and I was able to visit, view and then pay on collection. FYSA: Here was the advert: https://secondhand-trailers.co.uk/listing/96368/5x-12ft-groundhog-towable-welfare-units-essex This was the company: https://www.simplyhireltd.co.uk/welfare-cabins Good luck with your build.

No response needed, I just need to rant about an interaction with the council today. In my telephone call with the case officer assigned to discharging our planning conditions, she stated that she was just 'piggy in the middle', she didn't understand the tree officers' question and so had passed it on to the planning technician to answer as it wasn't for her to decide what was required to discharge the condition. WTAF? I thought that was *exactly* the role of the case officer - understand the information presented and decide whether the condition can be discharged or how to do it pragmatically. Background situation: One sub-bullet within a pre-commencement condition is for a pre-start briefing to be given to our principal contractor, on site, by our project Arboriculturalist. All other condition aspects are tidied away and our Arboriculturalist and the council tree officer know and respect each other (all good). I asked the tree officer to contact the case officer and support the principle that the condition could be considered discharged on the basis that the brief is given on the day we start work and a record of this is passed to the council (i.e. it's being given by someone he knows well and respects, and won't cut corners - which is why we chose him). I don't want to have to arrange and pay for (yet another) non-productive meeting on site, to then wait for 1-2weeks for the council to process an email acknowledging that the brief took place before we actually start. The tree officer declined my request for a phone call, asking for all communication to be via email (he then doesn't reply to emails, is only working for the council on Wed & Fri, hence why I asked for a call because otherwise the to/fro conversation takes ~2weeks). He deferred the question to the case officer to decide, who then deferred it to the planning technician (completely inappropriate and not their job) as the case officer sees her job as 'in the middle'! Deep breath. I don't know why I'm in any way surprised by this, from this council. I wish you all a better experience than mine.

I've had this mentioned to us, but seen very little evidence of anyone actually doing it - just wondered if there's any recent info or experience among this group? The main search hit result here only turns up a thread 8 years old...

@EdHat I thought that was exactly the purpose of building control - to ensure that the design (when they review the plans) and then the build (when they carry out inspections) meets the building regulation requirements. Ive found this thread really useful. I’d previously read all the government and HSE published documents but I’m going to re-visit them - I hadn’t spotted there being a distinct difference between CDM PD/PC and Building Control PD/PC. I’m concerned that the builders tendering may be working to different assumptions to me.

The nuts are fully recessed into the hole when fitted. It’s like they’re designed to be anti-tamper. Oh, wait… damn their design. I’ve ordered some cheap clamps to see if I can swap out the nut and/or bolt. Hoping the standard socket will still fit when recessed. (These clamps are far more secure than the cheap ones I’ve just purchased)

I looked at that, but the one I need has 3 equally spaced slots, whereas the one with a round cotter pin has the 2 square lugs closer together and filing the cotter pin to fit would loose too much metal in the sidewall of the pin.

@Dunc (& @Tuppers) funny you say that - that was the first proposed design (initial render attached - before the pantry was included also). Here was our thinking: The panoramic window is a centrepiece of the house's design and we want to enjoy it. Once we realised we didn't need a TV in this room, it allowed us to move the sofas away from the wall and swap with the dining table. Putting the dining table in the window centre might look 'show home picture perfect' (as we thought with earlier layout discussion), but feels like a waste of the best place to relax and enjoy the view (the additional 2 images I have edited using Procreate to overlay a photo of the view we'll have). In the evening, when the dining table would be most used, the curtains/blind will be closed, so the view wouldn't be seen anyway. Our current table has bench seating both sides and so it won't be much of a change for us. The benches will allow us some much needed hidden storage also.

@Benpointer They were done by a kitchen designer (https://www.chisholmdesign.co.uk) - not sure which software they use I'm afraid.

@twice round the block the anti-tamper is the same as the one I already have (wrong configuration). The normal end is just a socket (not a different type of anti-tamper).

@twice round the block Thanks but that's the one I already have (clamp on the right of photo), and seems to be the more common one. The one I'm struggling to find is a socket for the one on the left (different configuration of socket teeth - both width and location).

@Roz Hi - I'm just looking at some similar repairs to our unadopted lane. How did you get on? Would really appreciate any tips based on how it went/what you learned.

I'm looking at that too, though I'm not sure the socket will fit inside the recessed hole (the nut may just fit, but not with a socket over it). Unfortunately I think I left the clamps with plain nuts back at the site...

I have a mixture of different anti-tamper nuts on the fencing clamps I picked up in bulk from another self-builder. Can anyone help me find a socket that will work on the nut on the left in the photo? The person I bought it all off hadn’t needed to use these clamps, so hadn’t encountered the issue (they had bought it all second-hand from a large developer). Currently searching all the usual places (eBay etc).

Congratulations!! 🥂

@Havkey100 Just happened to read your original post - that could have been a copy and paste of my experience during our first application. Fingers crossed for you!

Just a note to say thanks for the contributions so far - I like hearing the challenges and different views in this forum as they tend to come across as constructive advice rather than the negative tone that so often fills FB forums. Keep the opinions coming, this discussion has given us some valuable input to challenge our thinking & ideas.

Great idea - I hadn't got to this stage yet, but it's already added to the list of requirements.

@Mattg4321 I managed to do my research RE: fencing as I also had the same scaffolding suggestion proposed - and managed to get this reduced back to the far cheaper option which doesn’t involve driving large tubes into the ground. unfortunately one of our conditions specifies monthly inspection visits… check out this extract! 🤦🏻‍♂️

@Tony L did you ever get this resolved? I’m no expert and am interested as we’re looking at a B+B floor too - I’d be questioning it exactly the same as you have. good luck

Following - I'm searching for similar grading of stone for under driveway and for the tree root protection. Do you have a design you're working to yet? (I'm waiting for structural engineers to reply atm)

@nod unfortunately not an option for us, so now we need to find a cost-viable solution. As an aside, I do find it interesting how planning policy and building regs are happy working in complete isolation of each other. Some architects local to us seem to specialise in getting planning approved with designs not compliant with BR.

@JackOrion I'm guessing your subsoil ground conditions are very different to ours if you're looking at possibly 10m depth. Ours are likely to be 2-3m before refusal (sand). Our ground investigation results were topping out with a N=50 around 2.5m on average.

@JackOrion sounds like a great plot, and very similar to our own one. We haven't decided just yet, but I'm looking at these helical screwpiles from Quadrabuild - https://www.quadrabuild.com/services/quadrapile/ The part that was particularly appealing (other than they meet the same loading capacity as the typical tubes with large helical discs), was that the installation equipment is hand-carried into place and they can run an 80m hose to the generator. Although I haven't got personal experience of them yet, my sister-in-law used them on her extension and it's gone well, avoided huge foundations and allowed them to keep the stablished tree in their garden. Good luck - would be interested to hear more about your build as you progress. Quadrapile-1.jpg

So, we need 'a little' cellular confinement system for our build to use as tree root protection (TRP). This isn't a surprise given our densely wooded plot, but I have been genuinely surprised by how much the plastic webbing material costs! How does plastic webbing measuring a just few metres cost this: 3.1m x 8.2m (100mm deep) = £155+ (rated to 8T) 2.7m x 7.3m (150mm deep) = £210+ (rated to 16T) Any tips on finding the most cost-effective cellular TRP? Have you experience on the loading rating being accurate or exaggerated to drive sales? A bit more detail... We have limited access, and will be building the driveway early on, but access past this point is limited to 2.9m wide (just!), and with very little manoeuvring available, so plant equipment will be limited in size. Our tree protection plan requires the area to be covered in cellular confinement system filled with clean angular stone type 4/20 (see attached screenshot), and so whilst I'd like to keep the temporary area as thin as possible (for cost reasons), we will need some plant equipment and heavy materials carried in, so it's likely we'll need to use 100mm deep cellular system throughout, with 150mm for the area adjacent to the road where delivery vehicles will off-load. Other info - The build is a timber frame and will have some steelwork (longest section ~7.5m) Keen to hear from anyone who has done this / similar. TIA