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@James94 - sorry for all the questions - did they insist on the hose thread being removed from the tap? I don’t mind doing so as I have a used tap I found which I can file off - but I’d rather not as I’d have to replace it with a threaded one later! ?

They sent it to me via Inflow last week. Very odd Have you had the inspection done yet?

It was supplied to me very recently.

@James94 - can you tell me where the specification diagram in the first post in this thread came from please? Anglian Water have supplied me with a much less onerous spec for my standpipe! I’ll see if I can attach it here. 2020-10-16_02-32-57%7eTemporary_Building_Supplies.pdf

Does anyone ever use the specific blue marker tape when laying water pipes?

Yes that’s a potential benefit too. Quarry dust is most likely a regional thing, prices for aggregates delivered seem to vary hugely due to this. Anglian Water specify sand blinding if not ducted - they might not mind in the event, but I wouldn’t want to get to inspection and find that they won’t pass it... Going by the price of 63mm blue ducting, I can get 2 x 50 metres delivered for about £100 - it just seems more sensible than getting a specific delivery of aggregate that I then have to move on site and shovel in?

I’ve 2 lengths of MDPE water supply pipe to lay underground. I thought ducting would be expensive, but when I consider the fact that for 100metres of run I’ll probably need quite a lot of sand, the ducting option may well be similar or even lower cost, as well as a lot less time and effort! Thoughts please?

I’m building two houses side by side but completely different phases, and need a temporary building supply ASAP, not least so that I can move on site into a caravan. I’ve got a quote from Anglian Water for both connections to be done, at the same time, as there is a necessity for complete road closure. They will connect both into a single point at a double manifold meter arrangement on the boundary of one of the plots. I will end up paying an extra chunk if I have the connections done at different times as they will have to close the road again. I planned to run one pipe in a trench as far as practical along the side boundary to a standpipe arrangement similar to those shown above (very useful details thanks ?) towards the rear of the plot so that this can then eventually be easily diverted inside when the house there is built. I have assumed that I will be allowed to T off this pipe to feed a caravan near the frontage, rather than have to feed all the way to the standpipe and then back all the way to the caravan? Now I’m not so sure. ? Secondly; The future supply for the other plot I will run a pipe along the front boundary and then around the edge to a sensible point for future connection to the house that will hopefully be there in a couple of years. The second (non-idiot) I spoke to at Anglian Water helpfully told me that I would not need to be billed for this second connection until it is in full use - they will fit a trickle supply. However I’m not clear as to how I should terminate this temporarily unused supply. Can I just stop-end it? Presumably not underground in case of back feed contamination. But I could leave a stub poking out of the ground and lag it sufficiently? I’d rather not have to go to the trouble of a second boxed standpipe that I have no need to use... Thanks!

Some interesting considerations, thanks. I’ll consult with a couple of local agents as well and see what they consider works best for the area/plots.

Possibly - I’d thought the orientation as it is would be quite good anyway, with sun at the front in the morning and then in the back in the afternoon. Would you be suggesting a non-mirrored L-shape duplicated design with the kitchen/dining/family area in the projection with south facing windows? That would then mean they’d have a view of a garage/fence instead of facing out across the open farmland to the rear? Appreciate your input.

It’s in the “New House & Self Build Design” section. That implies to me that I’m inviting comments on the design - not the entire self build process? So the comments relating to CIL, CDM and VAT, although obviously well meaning, would seem to be extraneous. Anything else relating to the overall design is most welcome.

Some sound advice thanks. Unfortunately I can’t rotate the plots - the planners will want to keep the existing building line - and that minor road is a private lane to the treatment unit compound, owned by the local authority. It’s an unsuitable access, even if I did manage to gain permission to use it.

Although I value the input on CDM, VAT etc. I’d really like to keep this thread about the design... there are already a lot of threads on here that cover those subjects... ?

I can’t afford to build them both at the same time. Assuming the law does not change, we’ll be reclaiming any eligible VAT on completion of each. Ostensibly they’re going to be one house for me and one for my parents, but the long term plan will be to sell both. That long term might be 5 or 25 years, no one really knows what the future holds at the moment. So I’m keen to design them with as much future market appeal as possible. I don’t really see the issue with a shared entrance way. The driveways will be split as immediately as possible within the boundary and there should be ample space for parking and turning on each frontage, wherever I decide to have the garages.

I’m not in a CIL area fortunately. I don’t like the central garage at all. And I’m not mad keen on the other one now it’s down on paper either, despite it being my original idea to screen the pole pig somewhat... My reaction is to move the garages to the rear at each side, and have a central pair of drives, or move the houses together and have 2 drives round the sides. The advantage of the latter is that it will provide a separation between the line of trees and the foundations, and therefore I should be able to keep more of the rather pleasant tree line - the further advantage is that I should then need minimal landscaping plans.

I’ve already made some decisions regarding the siting of the buildings but I’m interested in other's thoughts... I want to make at least one of the garage blocks room-in-roof with enough space for a self contained annexe in theory, so that I can move in as build continues, also I predict that an annexe might be a popular feature for properties in the future? The least good aspects of the plots are the small private treatment works compound to the rear, and the pole pig/power lines on the front corner. Otherwise the views to front and rear are pretty good for Fenland. Ignore building outline on the indicative site layout image below as it was done a good while back for the outline planning and is essentially meaningless. The property floor plans will be mirrored internally with minor external differences. Roofs will both be straight gabled not hipped, front bay likely deleted. Initial plan is to live in completed properties, with a view to eventual sale. So I’m not building my personal dream home/s here! General thoughts and opinions? I can add site photos if needed. Thanks Gosberton Topographical Survey.pdf 3097 - S02 - Site Setting Out.pdf 3097 - S01 - Block Plan.pdf 3097 - S03 - Site Visuals.pdf 3097 - S05 - Streetscene.pdf 3097 - 200 - Plot 2 Elevations.pdf 3097 - 201 - Plot 2 GF Layout.pdf 3097 - 202 - Plot 2 FF Layout.pdf

https://www.weavo.co.uk/product-details/fencing-and-gates/loose-fencing-materials/closeboard/recessed-concrete-post-for-closeboard.htm Yes depth is fairly important due to the fixed point at which the gravel board sits.

Not panel - Continuous close board on arris rails bolted to recessed posts.

So, for circa 35 metres close board fence on 3 arris rails on recessed concrete posts, concrete gravel board, capping; 1.8 meters height, bay next to front boundary tapering down to approx 1 metre. VAT registered quote, supply and fit, zero rated: £2500 Non VAT registered labour only quote: £900 Thoughts please?

Hopefully resolved the issue by virtue of the fact that I’m probably going to have to find a trademan to do it labour only, and order the materials myself, so that I can claim back the VAT on them... so I’m inclined to order 2.4 meter rails...

Normal amount of fingers and toes, but webbed, is the more common thing I reckon. Which probably isn’t a great help when gripping materials.

We get some fairly proper wind here in the fens though, due to there being nothing in its way! ?

Getting quotes for new boundary fence to plots - concrete posts, arris rails and close board - the contractor yesterday stated 3 metre centres as “That’s the length of the material”. As that’s about 10 feet it obviously seems too much. I measured the post centres of the last fence I had built, and they are just about 2400mm - which seems much more sensible. I’m rather surprised that the contractor should suggest such an expanse as surely it would sag? It’s not even looking like a cheap quote either!

Did strike me as reasonable yes. I can have the contestable work done by someone else but as far as I can tell all that entails is pulling cable through the duct on my land and connecting it into the meter box, so it hardly seems worth getting a third party in for it...

Spoke to Western Power, the transformer is indeed 100KVA and is only running at around a quarter of capacity at the moment. They’ve quoted £635.04 to install an 80amp supply to a temporarily sited box towards the back of the plot (on the basis that I provide trench and trunking on my land as well as the meter box).