Big Jimbo

Plenty of good advice here. Best site i have found by far.

Good job. That should get you a pass from building control.

A good magic man is worth his weight in gold. Hard to find now, as the good ones are all getting on. I doubt that the younger ones will stick at it very long.

If anybody has a massive pile of used notes in a bag marked Swag, i will be very happy to come and collect it from you. I remember, back in the day, sitting down with an ex president, who handed me his case and asked me how much he had in there. He did'nt have a clue, and the bag was full of bearer bonds for $250,000 each. I counted them for him, and he had $27 million dollars. It would have been so easy to nick a few.... Only problem was, i was a very honest young man back then. Or perhaps, stupid.

You can double that 93 cubic meters, by the time you pull it out of the ground. It will defo add some considerable costs, but you only have to do it once.

Oh yes. Still criminal. Banking in the 80's was defo legal crime. Money laundering was a huge income. Arms dealers. Bent presidents. Dodgy arabs. I had em all. Interesting times.

Randomiser... Thanks so much. The problem i had was that i went back in for permission for 2 houses instead of the single large one.. The council decided that because i had not discharged my planning conditions (materials) or started work. They could disregard my permission, and would only consider the existing bungalow. This allowed them to refuse for the reason of overdevelopement.

Evening all. As some of you will know i have permission to extend my 650sq ft bungalow to about 3000sq ft house and a separate detatched garage. I'm going to go back into planning for 2 new properties instead of the single large extended house and detatched garage. I want to ensure that my new proposal is looked at against my current permission, rather than the existing bungalow which stands on the land. I am currently satisfying my planning conditions, and once that is done, i intend to clear the ground, and dig the footings for my garage. I can do this without involving building control, as the garage is just under 30 sq meters. By satisfying my planning conditions, and digging some footing for my garage, do you consider that i will have done enough to ensure that my proposal for 2 houses will have to be judged against my extended property, and not the bungalow that currently stands ? As always, thanks for your help.

Defo not fella, although it might help me with the planners if it was. Believe it or not the organisation was Banking !!!!

Hope you find him. I think you can kiss your money goodbye. In a former life i used to use a chinese fella. He was fantastic, had contacts in the police, BT, Tax office, Post office, DHSS, Banks, Building Socs etc. He could find anybody in the Uk within 24 hours. He was a right crafty sod. He used to dig up serious dirt on people. If he couldn't get any dirt, he would set them up using prostitutes, drugs etc. Used to blag his way into any office building, or home. Once he had his dirt, photos etc, he would directly front up to the person and advise them that they had 7 days to pay or he would destroy there lives. Loss of job,, wife, kids etc. He was about 5ft 2 but some sort of kung fu expert. He got me back over a million from about 6 clients in a year. He charged 33% of monies recovered, and would only entertain cases in excess of 100k. Despite the fantastic results, the organisation i was involved with at the time, decided that he stepped over the line a couple of times and stopped me using him. I was introduced to him by a pimp, of high class London Hookers back in the early 80's who was also a large drug supplier to North London dealers. The pimp was a customer of the organisation i worked for at the time. The early 80's was Maggies "If you want it, go and get it" era. London was Madness.

Just wanted to say, I feel for you. What a pain in the butt. These things can be so frustrating. If you could figure out what is happening you would undoubtably be able to solve it.

That stuff looks like the dogs danglies. I bet it costs, but so much better than trying to grout in around the bottom after the timber frame is installed.

All the smart people will be along soon. That thickness has got to be giving you a good "U" value though ?

Morning all, My local council (Dacorum) Has a core strategy that runs from 2006 - 2031.... It does not have a current local plan, as it is currently under review. Any ideas how this may help me in my quest for Planning Permission..... Ie, am i able to use the fact that the local plan is being reviewed ??? Many thanks as always

That's the thing. None of us know, or are able to really find out what the true carbon costs of our properties are. Also, we all have to work to a budget, so the £20 jumber made in England, or the £6 jumper made in Bangladesh. When we have already paid tax 20 times on our income we have to make a choice. I'm defo going to consider the Hippie idea.

Ed Davies. I like the idea of Concrete pads. I did find some things online which are basically steel plates, with basically steel poles through them at angles, like spider legs. They hold up all sorts of things, and i think they could replace concrete pads. you could then join them with a timber ring beam, and build off them. No digging, and no concrete in the ground.

Big Neil. I am going to struggle to get you that job of housing minister.?

peter. I don't believe you. You pretty much flogged off all your old house for re-cycling, and you left bits of OSB just lying around !!!! That can't be you.

Thank you all for your comments and help guys n girls.....The system stinks.... I'm have been invited by my daughter to lunch with the PM in a couple of weeks. I will see if i get a chance to bend her ear. Who is up for being the Housing Minister. ?????

So true.

That is exactly the sort of thing we should have, to give us an incentive to build better.

Thats brill Mr Harris. You know that about your house, but the planners, politicions, decision makers etc don't. There should be some sort of recognition for your building. Perhaps i could knock you up a plaque when i get a workshop. Out of re-cycled wood of course. Certainly you will get the benefit of that, but it is still too easy to build rubbish in this country.

Pro Dave. I love timber frame, and cladding. My point is i have no real incentive to build it like that if you see what i mean.

Mr Harris. I hoped you would pop up. I understand the cheats way, and it is better than doing nothing, but it is still a cheat. Huge, huge, huge prob 30000sqft property near me. Fella prob planted a forest in Scotland to offset, and get his slap on the back. I just don't see that there is any incentive for me to try and do better, as nobody seems to give a toss. shame in my opinion.

Is that a slap on the back for me, for trying to think about the bigger picture Mr Punter ?