ToughButterCup

Yes. We did. And it was worth it because without the advice given, our application would in all likelihood have been rejected. In general, I would say that its as worth it as the effort you put in before the planner's feedback. In other words, we made it worthwhile. We had put in hours of preparation in part because we knew that our application would attract pushback from the locals. Before the meeting, lots of time was spent on looking at local successful applications, and rejections. The latter helped us more because we had a good 'feel' for what was and was not acceptable. But most of all, it was useful because fore-warned is fore-armed. We 'knew' the planner by reading his decisions. We knew what he had accepted - and what he hadn't. We didn't make ourselves an easy target for dismissive feedback (if it had been offered). And now - a few years later - every single one of those who objected to our application - but themselves had land suitable for building - have all built two or three houses on their land. Two of them were active local Councillors. Silent now. If you can, know the planner to whom you are going to talk. Go through all of his (her) decisions in detail.

I intend to submit a second application... as soon as the first is accepted and paid. PS I remember (whose? ) a post pointing out that precedent cannot be established at this level.

I agree. With one caveat. Encourage Continuing engagement. Anyone with GCSE maths has all the information necessary with which to describe the problem gather the relevant data research how others have solved similar problems consider which method(s) to use to calculate the results and check them and the same goes for GCSE Physics. The biggest problem is how the curriculum is taught - it still turns off so many people. Which is why I'm such a fan of Continuing Education. For example: I can think of a few who still in middle age would benefit from a deeper understanding of ethics and the practice of ethical behaviour.

Here be dragons. The end-use of a building is as important as the building itself. If what you appear to be suggesting is automatic '... then enable...' far fewer garages would contain cars and nameless bric-a-brac. Yes, through Permitted Development and further planning applications the garage might eventually become a small flat (say) . But permission to do so isn't automatic.

Welcome. Well, it depends on the precise terms of the warranty doesn't it? And that is related to the price. From the point of view the producer, consider the opposite: '... can be installed by anyone ... ' means its plug and play. But more expensive to produce. I'm not arguing about the amount of the mark-up which attaches to accreditation. Nor about the statutory guarantee, in comparison to the warranty offered by the producer. May I suggest that there's more to accredited installation than meets the eye ? Producers' warranties need careful reading. And I can't remember the last time I bothered to read one.

Thanks Russ

Here's a play list for you https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=levels+for+landscape

£20 a month for doing nothing . For a year. During which time the work and goods are subject to consumer law anyway.

I've had a quotation to add a smoke sensor to the system I already have. The quote includes the following text Preventive maintenance? 12 months after the installation of a sensor in a new-build?

Be a devil: 😈 pop a third screw in. Nobody's gonna know ....

I'm no expert, but wouldn't the metal do what it always does with an etching compound (sand-mortar-water) and simply rust? And then weep through to the surface? And stain? With a bit of luck @nod will be along in a bit.....

Hi, welcome. Gonna take you eight years to do up a bathroom like @Onoff then? Did you mean a recently new-built property, or a property new to you?

Yes, the ones to which you refer both have 180 centres ... You can vary the height too: the lower the better according to those who know about straining angles. 😳

Know what, I could couldn't I. There's a thought. Thanks. My instinct is that at the moment, that would be a bit heavy. The HoP is clearly annoyed with my letter pointing out his errors, but he's been stung into doing something. Thats a real achievement. I suppose the land owner now has the same statutory rights to appeal against Enforcement - again. That means a few months (6?) This is taking for ever innit? I've a good mind to go and do summat unlawful in planning terms and drag it out for as many years - minus one day that it takes to bring me to book. Now then what'll it be? I know, dig and operate a revenge cesspit 💩 and uncover it when the wind is in the right direction. (I'd be so scared of children falling in ....)

Well done @IanR . Thank you. Thanks for the interest in my arse Ferdi 😖 Today, the Planning Department finally told me - two full months after the fact - that they had written to me about what they had decided to do in this case. The word 'reconsidered' is the key one..... The letter was not delivered to my address. Anyway, here's a copy of the text in full The above is code for The Head of Planning has just kicked the can into Legal hasn't he? Here we are in early April two full months later, and nothing has or rather nothing appears to have happened. For me, this is new territory. How can I find out what decision was taken by the legal officers in this case? No new listing of a relevant Enforcement Notice appears on the Council Planning website. Anyone know? Maybe I should just wait a month or two? Ian

Showy tw+ts @Conor... 🤪 I like @Onoff's threads because he uses images well. Thanks Clive.

Scolmore Click Mode because of all the different things that can be incorporated in the (25 - 39 mm ) backbox; We use all of the following phone socket - primary, secondary charging unit (usb) data point ( we use CAT 6) range of switch colours to help with visibility illuminated switches TV out multimedia outlets (sometimes called new media outlets) all of the above in interchangeable plates and modules (called Minigrid) Be warned. ( feels daft saying that to you of all people) I made a huge mistake: I put in too many intermediate switches - because its so easy to incorporate them in the 'mini-grid' . I asked everyone what they wanted - switch for this and that from here, there and everywhere. Trouble is, I know what every switch does - but nobody (SWMBO) does : and then there's everybody else who curse me under their breath. So everyone just switches every damn light on - and of course leaves them on for me to switch off. Scolmore are (were when I last looked) dreadful at pulling their offerings together in a single document for folk like us. Here's the first link I found that might be useful to you Gary Ian

If only more people realised that. I think its especially true for high stress stuff like self-building. Sometimes, when you can only see as far as your next treat, it hits you how important a small treat is. How I wish some food advertisers hadn't noticed. Which is where cheapness comes in. If the treat can be free, so much the better.

Geberit AquaClean Mera. Wish I'd bought the one that gives you a blow-dry as well now.

A wetroom rather than bathroom. Already (because of arthritis) I can't get into or out of a bath without a crane Pain in the arse that. A bum-flushing loo: yep, can't wipe my own Botticelli either ... pain in the arse that ...😒

Welcome. Especially so to someone from my clan's own county. As @SteamyTea hints, 'eco' is a tricky adjective. But do not be put off from your determination by the dismissive comments about planners above. Being seen to make an effort in ecological terms is no bad thing: even if there's a range of opinion about what that actually means. It forms part of the mood in which planners make decisions. Our architect knew that our planners were very keen on ecologically sensitive design. And while the arguments presented above are technically correct, the micropolitics of an application matters. While discussing our application in a In a public forum, one local councillor openly said that; "The reason this application will be accepted is because of its eco-credentials" I ignored the comment at the time. There's no way of weighing the accuracy of the remark. Except that it was made. As to digging a test pit..... Get the test pit specification. Hire a digger. Enjoy making your own. Great fun. Good luck Ian

Hmmm, the first idea is excellent, but really hard work to sort out. In relation to your second idea maybe a guide on how to search for content on BH ? Internal to the site and on google or other search engines? Part of the 'trouble' (wrong word probably) is our preparedness to answer the same question time and again. It is curmudgeonly to say to new members - go and look for yourself .... Its easier for the new member to ask (quickly), and for us to answer (just as fast). Tinternet is about speed - information grabbing - and just enough and no more than needed.

And every last bit of information they need is already here, just waiting to be read. 😕

I could not agree more. In any self-build, there's a huge pressure to get-it-done, so you can ' freeze-the price ', 'lock-in-a-good-deal ' , and move on to the next job of which there are too many to contemplate. Among the most unpleasant pressure sales tactics I've experienced is : ' I thought this was a done-deal ' when it very much wasn't. And to my eternal shame, I didn't have the guts to push back hard enough. How many purchase decisions are there in any self-build? A few thousand maybe? Of which maybe 10 or 20 are so expensive - great care is taken. If you've only been robbed a few times with smaller purchases, I think you're doing well. But you are right @SteamyTea : it still rankles

Welcome. Not even started and you've discovered a fundamental of self-building: everything takes longer than expected or reasonable or normal. The only way I coped with that annoyance was to redirect the stress caused into planning in ever greater detail. And still I wish I'd done more than I managed. My signature line is the heart-felt, God's honest truth.