IanR

Have you looked at rooves in the different materials? Apart from the colours, can you see the difference in finish? are you particularly after one finish over another or does that not matter so much to you? Traditional Standing Seam is a made out of a ductile material (Zinc, Copper, or a modern version being Aluminium) where the material is delivered on a coil and formed on site. The ductile nature allows for upstands, flashings, verges etc. to all be hand created on site, in the same material, with relatively simple tools. More labour tends to be required for the instal. While the material arrives on a coil and has not been "processed" it can be the cheapest way of purchasing that material, however Copper and Zinc are expensive materials to purchase even in a coil format. Less ductile materials such as mild steel and stainless are preformed off-site, into "trays", and mild steel needs to be pre-coated for corrosion protection. That processing increases the cost a little, and likely the shipping costs increase as well, but mild-steel is the cheapest sheet material and the processing into trays brings it up to a similar price as the aluminium on a coil. The less ductile materials will require flashing kits for upstands, verges etc. If you are using a standard Velux roof light, there may be a specific flashing kits for that window, in the same material, but if there's not, or you are using less ubiquitous roof lights, then you'll likely need to introduce a different material for flashings as they not able to be formed on site out of the same material. Copper, Zinc and Stainless don't require pre-coating. Coper and Zinc will oxidise over time, changing their colour. While aluminium doesn't require coating for corrosion protection it is coated as the oxidation occurs in a streaky, blotchy manner. I went with Aluminium as I wanted the traditional standing seam look and pricewise it was cheaper than some mild steels, but more expensive than others. It was much cheaper than Zinc and I didn't entertain Copper.

Great result! You'll benefit from all that taping for years to come.

Class Q PD stops you extending beyond the existing building envelope, so if the finished conversion has the roof finish in the same position as the original barn you won't be able to add Solar PV, that sits on top of the roof, as part of the Conversion as it will be outside the existing envelope. If you can fit it within the existing building envelope, by integrating it within the roof finish then it could be done within the Class Q Conversion, but you will need to resubmit the Class Q Prior Notice. The LPA may accept it as a non material amendment, but if they won't I personally wouldn't re-open the book on the Class Q. Once the Conversion is finished and the building is occupied, you would then have PD Rights to add PV, as long as you fit within the rules. "Green" PD Rights are the only ones that remain in place after a Class Q conversion, all other PD Rights are removed. If you don't fit within the PD rules for PV, there's nothing to stop you putting in a separate planning app for it, it's highly likely to be successful. You may want to consider putting in a Planning App for the full Change of Use Conversion, using the Class Q as a fall-back, as it could get you away from some of the Class Q restrictions, and you could then include PV from the start, but watch out for the 3 year time limit to complete the conversion, of the existing Class Q Approval.

Have you looked at all options of raft? Ie. Rafts with piling support.

For all National FTTP ISPs (except Virgin, if you want to call them "national"), Openreach provide the infrastructure and the connection of a house to it. (Although arranged via your chosen ISP when you order a service) OR say they will fit a junction box for the fibre on an external wall, drill through and put the ONT the other side, where there needs to be a plug socket. Your Gateway (aka router) would likely be positioned there also. Currently OR are prepared to go the extra mile and if you have ducting in place, ideally the grey 50mm ducting OR issue for copper connections, OR will route the fibre inside the house and terminate at your preferred location, along with the ONT and your Gateway. My experience was OR did an awful lot for the standard connection fee. Ie. Pulled the fibre 130m through the existing ducting and got it to my Node 0, in the centre of the house. It did take them 5 visits though. If you're in line to benefit from alternate fibre networks, ie. Virgin, Community Fibre etc. then each have their own rules, but are generally similar.

The legislation just says "emissions", so I'd take that to include NOx, discounting Hydrogen combustion boilers as well.

I don't believe there was a consensus it wouldn't happen. It has to happen, just unfortunate "the industry" is burying its head. There's going to be a lot of poorly trained and inexperienced installers.

What has surprised me is the noise around the new legislation is only about Wood Burners, the parallel ban on fossil fuel boilers has been introduced without barely a mention. Not being in Scotland I've not used their Building Warrant system, but I assume any Building Warrants applied for after April 1st have to show a non-fossil fuel heating system and non wood, biomass etc. Are the Heat Pump installers of Scotland ready to support all the new builds? The ban (for new builds) in England and Wales is only a year away and it doesn't feel like the industry is yet ready.

Don't be rushed, put the onus on the builder to put the legal document in place at their cost, and to cover your legal costs. It can't be done in the timeframe of the current planning app so either suggest to them them to withdraw their application and resubmit when everything is agreed, or continue with your objection until the agreement is in place.

... Along with all "locally polluting heat sources", from this month. While the following is behind a paywall, I believe you get 3 articles a month without paying. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/04/09/snp-showing-contempt-for-rural-scotland-wood-burning-ban/ The crux is that space and water heating systems going forward must "not by means of a direct emission heating system" https://www.thenational.scot/news/24242447.wood-burning-stove-ban-scotland-key-rules-explained/

I believe what is meant is that they have Planning Approved for a Change of Use Conversion, rather than the initial Class Q PD.

Looks like a carbon copy of the barn I converted under Class Q, 7 years ago and live in now. At the time my LPA insisted the Class Q couldn't be used as a fallback for full planning and I was unwilling to be one of the first to challenge that view via Appeal. Full Planning is certainly the better option, to get away from the Class Q rules and restrictions, but still very happy with what I ended up with, it just could have cost a lot less. Shame they're not doing a blog somewhere, it would be nice to follow. Unfortunately the YT format doesn't work for me with this sort of project. The actual pour went pretty quick for me. 500 sqr m was in by 11:00 on the day we did it, so I'm not sure of the cost savings from doing it in smaller chunks, unless the couple really are planning to do it without any help.

The linked article is referring to the "crisis in the volumetric house-building sector", so I took the OP to refer to the common meaning of modular build, ie. Pre-built "modular" boxes, assembled on site. And you can build panellised kits in much smaller, grottier factories, or handle and store (waiting for delivery) more panellised house kits in the same space.

I see this as a specific issue with Modular house process. As a comparison to cassette/panel kits it incurs higher costs for larger warehouses to build large boxes (of air), higher shipping costs to transport those boxes of air and higher crainage costs to move those boxes from transport into position. I've never understood the benefit of the modular method.

I'd say not. If you'd paid someone, then there would have been employment taxes/NI that would have been paid on that wage, which HMRC hasn't received. You should take advice though, since you will have now developed for profit, HMRC may feel the gain should be treated as income rather than a Capital gain.