shuff27

Thanks that reinforces my preference for aluclad. In the case of GBS, I believe they only recently started offering an aluclad option as that's what the selfbuild market often wants, so I took this salesman's words with a generous pinch of salt... As my house will have a fairly modest number & size of windows, the budget can withstand the slightly extra cost of aluclad.

I went this morning just to check out the glazing suppliers. I wasn't expecting much so at least I wasn't disappointed. It's only 20 minutes drive from me anyway. But I agree about the lack of vaccination proof checking, especially since the organisers sent a warning email a couple of days ago.

Was at the Bicester selfbuild show this morning, mainly to look at windows/doors as most of my other build choices are already decided. I visited the stands of Green Building Store, Internorm, Norrsken & Rationel/Velfac (shared stand as part of same company). Although I am leaning towards aluclad timber, the sales director of GBS stated his preference for full timber (the company offer both versions) based on; a) the cost is around 15% less than aluclad. b) the paint finish on their timber windows is warranted for 10 years & is expected to last for around 12 years before repainting is required. c) he claims that within 10 years the paint finish on aluclad will be fading & cannot be repainted. I would be interested to hear from anyone who has weighed up aluclad vs full timber & what they eventually chose. Any other comments on my 3 points above also welcome.

Thanks for the replies. I've asked my local ASHP contractor to quote based on my calcs & build details so let's see what they recommend.

Thanks. Would 5kW also provide enough DHW? I'm guessing a tank capacity of min 200L, max 300L would do us. Is there any benefit of oversizing the heat pump? The price difference between a 5kW & 7kW Vaillant Arotherm Plus, for example, is only around £350.

So I've plugged all my data into the @Jeremy Harris spreadsheet with this result. Annual heat requirement comes out as 10852 kwh for average OAT & 13830 kwh for min OAT. How do I use this data to correctly size my ASHP to heat wet UFH on the GF (110 sq.m. single zone) & DHW? Upstairs I'm planning to do without heating in the bedrooms & have elec mat UFH & elec towel rails in the 2 bathrooms. Plus whole house MVHR of course! For DHW the occupancy will only be 2 persons for 95% of the time. Thanks for any guidance. Heat loss versus outside air temperature Difference between room and OAT (deg K) = 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Ventilation heat loss energy (J) = 0 199015 398030 597044 796059 995074 1194089 Ventilation heat loss power (W) = 0 55 111 166 221 276 332 Wall heat loss power (W) = 0 212 425 637 849 1061 1274 Window heat loss power (W) = 0 85 169 254 338 423 508 Door heat loss power (W) = 0 19 38 58 77 96 115 Roof heat loss power (W) = 0 75 150 225 300 375 450 Ground floor heat loss power (W) = 378 378 378 378 378 378 378 Fabric heat loss power (W) = 378 769 1160 1551 1942 2333 2724 Total heat loss power (W) = 378 824 1271 1717 2163 2610 3056

I inherited approved plans which included 2 chimneys, apparently they're a staple of the local design guide & the PO insisted on them. After buying the plot I gained approval to remove them after submiting a variation of condition application. My argument was chimneys on a new build are "anachronistic, unnecessary & contrary to the principles of sustainable design & construction." Feel free to use my wording - I made the last bit up so unsure if it's actually true but I think it sounds good!

I enjoyed reading this. Most of us self builders soon realise that the planning system is stacked against us in favour of the big developers ?

What I mean is that although PP & CIL are of course related, you can notify a CIL commencement date even before discharging pre-commencement conditions. I have this in writing from my planning case officer, which doesn't guarantee it's correct (!), but at least covers me if I do as he has instructed.

Thanks for that helpful link. Already have my CIL exemption which is why I'm impatient to get going, including acknowledgement of my notice of CIL commencement which can be notified even before PP commencement (they are unrelated in legal terms), just can't start anything yet.

@joe90 I actually have an old garage on site that will be demolished but, catch 22, it can't be demolished until after 31st August due to the possibilty of nesting birds/roosting bats covered in the very same protected species survey! So maybe a trench or how about a trial hole to assess the soil conditions?

Hi, I have 2 pre-commencement planning conditions; 1. details of finished floor levels have to be approved. 2. if development does not commence before 31st August the protected species survey, first done 2 years ago, has to be renewed - this would cost me £1200 & cause further delay. So this morning I submitted detailed FFL plans along with a plea that the PO confirms their acceptability asap so I can commence no later than 31st August in order to avoid renewing the survey. Whether they respond positively to my plea is unpredictable (although my case officer was helpful in granting my CIL exempetion quickly so I'm not without hope). But assuming it happens, what exactly can I do on site, however minimal, that constitutes commencing development before being ready to issue the building notice? There is no definition of 'commencing development' in the PP, so is there a nationally accepted standard definition? Thanks for any advice or how you dealt with similar experiences.

Welcome @Alfie I'm about to start in Hartwell ?...just waiting for the council to pull its finger out & approve my CIL exemption ?

Just to follow up my posts above about chimneys, I've just had approval under a variation of condition application to remove them from the approved plans. The original planning officer insisted on having them in line with the local design guide. Her replacement concluded that although chimneys are generally preferable, in an architecturally mixed street scene such as this they are not mandatory. So much for consistency! At least the savings from not having to include them more than offsets the extra planning fee.

Relevant topic as I agreed a purchase price on a plot about 3 months ago but have yet to exchange contracts as there are ongoing delays at the Land Registry meaning the plot has not been officially registered. In the meantime the quotes I had for timber frame & groundworks have been increased by about 8%. I'm mulling over whether to pull out of the purchase. Dilemma - I've already sold by current home & renting it back from the new owner & prices of comparable existing houses have also risen due to the stupid stamp duty holiday. I've already sunk about about a grand into modifying the house plans & submitting planning amendments. In the end I'll probably still go ahead & just have to accept self build will cost more & take longer.

You must live somewhere posh - in this area we can only afford one car ?

As noted above - I've just had my connection quote from Western Power & it specifies 3-phase. They know I'll be having an ASHP (but no detail as to size); they may also know that my local council mandates installing cabling for an EV charger in all planning permissions. I'm going back to them to ask if single phase is still an option & if so what is the cost difference.

I give the PO credit for replying to my email about dummy chimneys, here's his reply: "The Council encourages the use of chimneys on nearly all new dwellings, as it is consistent with advice contained within its Design Guide (Chapter 4.15.6): ‘Chimneys are on most buildings within South Northamptonshire and are a key characteristic of the area, punctuating the roofscape and add interest to the roofline. The opportunity of creating chimneys on new buildings or building extensions should be taken whenever possible, even if containing flues to boilers and heating appliances rather than open fires. The chimney should be integral with the house rather than added externally onto the gable.’ The Council does take a strong position on them, although you are correct to highlight that they are not always included on new properties and it can sometimes be acceptable to remove them. The Council assesses each site on a case by case basis, and only if reasonable comparisons can be drawn between two sites or situations will previous decisions be afforded significant weight. Removing what is regarded by the Council as an important design detail from the scheme would not, in my opinion, fall within the remit of a ‘Non-Material Amendment’. Given it changes the roofscape of the building, which is going to be a prominent addition to the street scene even if the street scene is quite varied already, this alteration requires a more careful assessment, and as such the amendment should be submitted as a Section 73 ‘Variation of Condition’ application. This attracts the same £234 fee, but takes eight weeks to be assessed and will trigger a new consultation process. I hope this is helpful in clarifying the Council’s position." The whole design guide makes for interesting reading - it's dated 2017 but reads like something more relevant to 1957.

I second @Bozza, I'll be having a walk-in shower in both the ensuite & family bathroom, no baths. Sacrilege to a developer but it's my self-build so I'll have what I want. Also good for future proofing - my 90 year old mum has a large walk-in shower with a fold-down plastic seat; she's well past the stage of being able to get in & out of a bath.

Thanks, all good points that I can use. I'm going to email the PO who approved my NMA first asking for guidance but it might be he refuses to advise without a new NMA. Ironically the house next door, built in 1970s, is currently being refurbished and has been granted permission to remove its chimney ?. I'll certainly refer to that too.

I've considered that so I'm applying to move it even before I've actually completed the plot purchase. It's a small sign on a post, buried in concrete in the grass verge, already leaning over so I'm hoping the parish council will look positively at my offer to move it securely before it 'falls over' ?.

I recently applied for a NMA and was amazed to get the decision (approval) just 10 working days later. Now considering submitting another NMA to get the ridiculous dummy chimneys removed (I'm buying the plot with existing FPP) but at £245 every time it's a gamble. I also have to apply for a dropped kerb and to move a bus stop sign which is in the way of the new access.

Welcome @Daviefish. I'm in the process of buying a plot in west northants (used to be in south northants but apparently the new council has moved it ?). I'll have a stone built garage to demolish - would have like to keep it but it blocks the visibility splays. I'll reuse the stone on a new boundary wall.

That's a hell of a lot of glazing on the NW facing rear elevation. Not sure how often you'll enjoy opening those massive GF patio doors in the UK climate.

Hi @Andrew what was the conclusion of your gas vs elec conundrum? I'll be facing the same issue soon.