ToughButterCup

That appears to me to be threatening behavior. You have no alternative now other than to go formal.

7 years ago : at least we used rebar and not 2 by 2 in the trench 😝

Ok: forewarned is fore-armed @Losingsleepoverdrainage. 🤨 I need to tell you this (apologies of you already know). In seeking to to discharge elsewhere in land that isn't yours to cross : you create a potential 'ransom strip': the owner can (justifiably) charge you to put your foul drainage pipe across the land. We had one neighbour who threw a hissy fit, and another neighbour who was completely cool about the process - made sure that an estate agent was consulted who gave both parties a reasonable price for us to have a covenant which lasts 88 years (why 88 - search me) paid for the landowners legal fees dug the trench within a week of the agreement being signed. You are correct The process above gives a fair to all way out of the problem.

I grew up on a pig farm: and love them. If you know what you are doing, well-handled, pig-poo is top stuff. I would be as pleased as punch to look after them. Well-kept porkers don't smell at all. As a kid I always had a pet piglet. And I love shooting rats: they're worthy opponents. But, as you might expect, my soon to be has-been neighbour is not well disposed to me. He's the kind of bloke who makes constant reference to England not being the kind of place his dad fought for any more. Lucky he doesn't know I'm German ( 'old a minnit... if he did then that'd explain a lot. Ah well, never mind what a shame)

In attempt to prevent someone else suffering what we have had to put up with for the last 8 years, this post summarises key aspects of this case and itemises our lessons learned. Here's the background to a long and determined attempt to squat on open farmland. The saga started 8 years ago, and will end on the 27th of December this year. And here's the Inspector's uncomfortably-well written Decision . I found myself clutching my withers at her uncompromising written style, attention to detail, diplomacy and mastery of detail. Summary We were awarded Planning Permission in 2015 25 yards away - crucially separated by a farm track - the new landowner moved in to a caravan sited on the field next door A cesspit was dug - open to air within a meter from a fence by the track He made Planning Applications . All were refused. Then he builds a dwelling house INSIDE the caravan. Swing a mouse? No chance. Subsequent Appeals were also refused. Enforcement Notices (EN) were issued HM Inspectors visited The first EN was quashed. Because the owner had built a dwellinghouse inside the caravan. Yes, you read that correctly. A further EN was issued Inspectors visted again and a Public Meeting (of interested parties only) was held. Despite an invitation, I stayed away from the meeting. The Refusal was published yesterday (Enforcement Notice Upheld with amendments) Lessons Learned Cesspits need Planning Permission and Building Control Sign off. Here's the point: The moment you see an open cesspit in use, write to your LPA with evidence. Heres the point: Stick to the knitting: the lack of Planning Permission: the LPA tried to fob us off with Environmental Health Heres the Point : If the LPA does not address the issue within 8 weeks or so, make a formal complaint. The Environmental Agency is a chocolate fireguard I didn't take a log of the number of times I rang them or wrote to them: but each time I was fobbed off. One unusually candid Officer told me directly that unless there was a major spillage of effluent they were not interested : a two person cesspit was almost irrelevant he said. Here's the point: save time, forget about the EA Caravans are not always caravans If a caravan has block-work poking out of its underskirts and the block work is connected to a foundation pad, its a Dwelling House If a caravan is hidden behind a high wall, densly planted Leylandii and guarded by a Rhodesian Ridgeback dog: smell the rat Here's the Point: be as persistent in your pushback as the applicant is in deceit. Do not bother to contact your MP Here's the point: ours thought of herself as a referral unit. No action was taken as a result of her involvement. Why have I bothered to make this post..... ? Had I taken effective , determined action promptly - the following would not be the case The high walls that disfigure the lane will stay : why ? 4 Year Rule The cesspit will stay will stay : why ? 4 Year Rule The Caravan will stay: why ? 4 Year Rule The Leylandii (30) continue to grow in a hedgerow full of natural species. And all because the LPA simply did not do their job in a timely fashion. And when they stirred their stumps they did a sloppy job. If you have a point to make in terms of Planning Enforcement and - on the basis of evidence , you are sure of your case . Go in hard, determined and armed with every scrap of relevant evidence clearly itemised and described. The only excuse I can muster in self-defence is that I had a house of my own to build. The Head Of Planning has resigned recently. I pity the organisation that recruited him.

Happy to help annonomise the graphic if that helps. PM me and attach the graphic if you like. ... I'm bored as hell recovering from a hip operation at the moment, so I've got time on my hands .....

The rule idyl often stops where the soft and smelly starts. I don't think I've read a more exasperating thread ever on buildhub. It has all the elements of deeply nasty local hamlet life. Passive aggression, mendacity bullying. I feel for you a great deal. I have a strong feeling that there is no way out of this problem other than to formalize it. Yes, that will lead to unpleasantness. Yes, it will lead to conflict. But unfortunately, I think that will be the only way to break through the crust of lazy thinking and '... We've always done it like this...' Is there a way of you posting a suitably anonymized map of the problem on this thread? If we could have a look at that, we might just be able to 'see' a creative way out of the problem.

Did you buy the house from the landowner? If you did, that would explain the reluctance of the landowner to -implicitly- admit that anything is less than up to scratch. And if you did then ...... [no point in further speculation] This is the nuclear button: report the system as non-compliant to the EA. Tell them who the landowner is. And work towards a resoultion together. You have a delicate few weeks ahead ..... my sympathies

OK, @LionessHeart, now would be a good time to scream. While you are considering if the @pocster is actually worth a scream - and not a mere snigger- , here is a reading list for you on Class Q by a really well-known author Martin Goodhall. Good luck. Ian

Welcome @LionessHeart. Your Other Half called Richard by any chance? Anyway, here goes with the advice. Keep the post short, simple and focussed. That way you get much more detailed answers. There is no limit on the number of posts you make. For example, ask : Does anyone have experience of Proquant? Are there any alternatives to it? Are there any gottchas with it? We're hoping to build to PH standard. Has anyone got any key bits of advice? Is @pocster really as gorgeous as he thinks he is? In other words, make the chunks of the problem as small as you reasonably can. It's OK to scream on here

"Ere, Canski, mate.... whassat pole for ?" .... "Ya wot ?"...... One Oh FFS moment down, several more to go.

Could not agree more . So important that ... you might like to insert the date in that field too (if its a new issue) as in Salamander Cottage LA[..] 9[...] : Steels Drawings : 14/02/2023 Just have a quick look at your own email IN box. Look at those Subject Lines that draw your attention. BCO's got the same problem. Make it easy for everyone.

Mange your Inspector. How? Evidence. Request copies of the original Inspectors Notes (they have to keep records ) Take your own contempraneous notes: phoographs, videos, recording, written notes Send copies of those notes to the Inspector Ask the new Inspector to request and refer to the original Inspector's file notes. Long term Sickness cannot not refer to the notes that (should have?) been taken.

The one above is the only one I've found. House Planning Help isn't just about planning - which is why I don't rate it as 'good'. The author should rename the podcast. I have spent a good deal of time looking. The trouble is the subject area is so large. Different people learn in different ways: some of us like reading material, others video, others like listening. The best I can suggest is some (of the millions) of YT and Vimeo (I'm sure there are others) resources. But filtering by presenter and content is the issue: along with shared ignorance.

Micropolitics matters.

Too bloody right. Here's a re-print of what actually happened to me a few years ago ..... ========================= Waiting in line at the local BM. An organisation that hasn't changed from the 1990s when I first set foot in Lancashire. But I suspect it probably hasn't changed much since time began. A powerfully built but small white haired man get to the head of the queue. No neck, just muscle, shoulders the size of an American oarsman's coach. His frame must have been put together before steroids were invented. Several staff are chatting behind the counter - there's a queue, no, audience of at least 10. All builders (except me) Roofer: Riaaat mate ah want sum roofing felt: cuppla roles laaak BM You mean Vapour Control felt: how many rolls d'ya wunt? Noooo mert, ah want sum roofin felt, just'a culpa rolls laaak. The BM shop assistant, spotty, super-clean hair do, biro tattoos : 'Mum' and 'Hat', one on each forearm looks flummoxed. Well we've got [................... A series of trade names.............] Silence. Complete silence. 10 builders (and me) , Hearts almost stopped. The roofer eyes the sprog behind the counter, and cold as ice and says Maaate if yer wanna know why wimmin dunt ever cum in 'ere, it cos o' twats laaak thee mekkin me feel laak a reet prat. Ah been cummin' in ere since long afore yer dad wuz born orderin' fookin roofing felt. '..... Kin rooofin felt 'assss all. An if yer can mek me feel laak a reet prat, yer can do 't same fer wimmin. Nay wonder ya never see a wun in ere. The shop door opens, all eyes swivel (just like a pub entrance door) and in walks a large female, in dirty dungarees, severe hair cut with purple and red highlights, forearms the size of my thighs , most things pierced - the list would be too long - sporting a chunky paint-spattered watch. And clogs - proper Lancashire clogs. Two days later my tongue is still sore where I bit it .

"Thanks for that price. I have three other quotations due in the next [...] . Can I ring you to discuss your price when the other quotes are in?" "Well, the main issue is that I want to be sure to compare like with like. I'm trying to be fair to each supplier, and not simply rejecting the quote on the basis of the final figure " "The other comparable quotes are substantially lower than yours. Do you have time to discuss them with me?" "Help me understand why your quote is so much higher than everyone elses" "Why is your quote so cheap?" "Your quote is so high that it makes me wonder wether you want the business". "Your quote seems to be substantially out of line with other quotes I have. The others are all about 15% cheaper. Can we explore why that might be" "Why did you waste your time sending me a quote that high?" "Self builders are not stupid" "Do you have a line manager I can talk to, just to check a few items in this quote ...." "Really? Honestly? Have the decency to wear a mask the next time you commit daylight robbery."

Bitter experience, and years of reading the threads started by BH members.

Leave as is. In 3 months nobody will notice, and you'll have forgotten.

Opening measurements to a couple of mm. Installers fix. Gaulhofer. Architects sometimes argue - that whatever they specify, the installers do what they want. And the installers say, the architects don't know what happens in practice so they have to sort it out. The Gaulhofer team were good - not excellent. We needed to ask one specialist to come and sort out our very heavy doors. The architect was not invlved at all.

I have supervised undergrad teaching students in classrooms of thirty or more children (+1 teacher and 2 teaching assistants - ie. nearly 40 people in one room) where - in winter - the classroom teacher refused to open even one window : because she was cold. You could chew the atmospheric fugg in the classroom. On to the next classroom: male teacher just as many children, most of the small windows open, on the same day. "If they're cold, they can wear a sweater if they want. By the way, he said, one child this age is the equivalent of a one bar fire"

There's your drainage report. AVOID. Or immerse yourself in the depths of the most dysfunctional sector of the building industry. Everyone is an expert on your dollar.

And one (practice) which, belatedly, I realise I am still clinging to. A very open design internally: mezzanine leading to two bedrooms each with a full length glass door upstairs, and a 4.5meter slider downstairs. The slider and the doors are wide open as I write this. Outside temperature 9, windspeed 17kts. House is in a wind-shadow, and sun-trap. Both bedroom door-windows are opened (but the bedroom doors shut) all day, and closed at tea time. Often the bedroom window is open all night, especially if the wind forecast is anything other than a strong south westerly. The trees round us provide enough cover. No MVHR yet - because it seems to me that - for us - MVHR, while not bogus, would be switched off for most of the year (April to last week in September). We just wear an extra pullover when necessary, or heat the air in one bedroom-office as needed. Yep, she's special, I realise that. To cite the OP @DavidHughes We haven't got sign-off yet. So there's a lot of tooth sucking at the minute.

Its really encouraging to see you engage with our feedback. I think you now have the hardest job of all: building trustworthy working relationships with a set of experienced professionals and tradesfolk. That will take time, and luck. And, reading between the lines - is this a renovation? Or is it a knockdown? Old houses are good at hiding nightmares.

Here be dragons. Big nasty dragons, and oceans of tears. The sums of money involved in this case are not to be sniffed at. Unless your friend has worked for you before, and you have come to know and trust his judgement and practice, may I suggest you do not employ him? Professional distance is what is needed here. Ask your mate for confidential advice, contacts, his judgment about other companies you employ: but don't employ him. All too often we hear of mates rates relationships which have gone wrong, and in my case that has happened twice. And in this case, re-read @miike , @Bozza , @Canski , @Mattg4321 hint at above. The warning signs are already there.