Alan Ambrose

Ah yes, 20th now below Uruguay and Estonia (no offence meant): https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2023

Be aware that there are a number of reports here on Buildhub (three that I remember) of getting the ‘it will be passed’ news informally … only for that not to be the case. I don’t want to create unnecessary anxiety but just be aware that occasionally that happens. I’ve had this myself and there’s always ‘my manager didn’t agree’ and other various excuses.

I found this while I was searching for the original Telegraph article referred to by Martin Goodhall: https://redbrickblog.co.uk/2020/11/a-wink-and-a-nudge-to-corruption-in-our-planning-system/

@Jilly I think they both meant the planning departments. My feeling is that Parish Councils are mostly irrelevant i.e. having little influence re planning but I may be wrong.

Another one: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-17/solar-flooded-australia-told-its-okay-to-waste-some/104606640 The article makes an interesting point about how that affects grid stability / resilience as well as prices.

Like most UK citizens, but certainly not citizens of all other countries, I work on the assumption that our government services 'play cricket'. Often not good quality, speedy or accurate cricket. Sometimes laughably slow, inefficient and incompetent cricket, but 'cricket' nevertheless. I was eating dinner with some new friends recently and (on recounting our planning woes) one senior director-level woman said, 'well it is, of course, the most corrupt government area'. And, I was talking to a supplier recently, who without any prompting from me, started talking about his local LPA, court cases & corruption. I was trying to get him onto the subject of our call, so didn't pursue his thoughts on that subject further. Now, I've already seen quite a lot of sketchy LPA behaviour, some of which I would call unethical. I appreciate that most people here on Buildhub only have one or two datapoints, so can't draw much of a conclusion. And, apologies in advance, if my question affronts those who can't let themselves consider that the world is not always squeaky clean. But I'm interested in everyone's views.

You've clearly been doing your homework, so you deserve to win on this

The sure fire way to debug this (well nearly, if it's not due to transient or intermittent behaviour) is to use a residual current / earth leakage meter. Modern day electronics (LED lighting 'transformers' etc) often leaks tiny currents (single digit mA) to ground. Not really a problem, but if you get a bunch adding up to >30mA, or a single one (like a damp porch light) then the RCD will trigger. So, clamp your meter on, observe residual current, switch devices on or off and see which one causes the high leakage current. This usually means poking inside the (live) CU so you may want to get a good spark (describe the fault and double check whether they've got the right test equipment for this first).

Did he get some 2nd material cheap? Otherwise it was probably polycarb. If really perspex / acrylic, then look up instructions for making fish tanks. If polycarb, maybe there’s some kind of rubber / plastic beading that can be glued over the joints. Else +1 to silicone.

Although the 'bungalows' option is less heat efficient, it does have the bonus of being an interesting design, and it does have the added bonus of being on one level - and for our demographically aging population, that's desirable. So, I think it's good. Else we'll all end up in cubes with a bit of ornamentation on for effect.

Unless you're looking for some architectural magic worked over your own design (which IMO is very valuable stuff), I might either draw myself or get someone else to and either submit myself or get a planning consultant to (might depend on how difficult you think it might be to get planning). Planning is looking for look and feel and it strikes me you have that. You (or a consultant) will need to check your LPA's validation rules re items to be submitted, scales, drawing requirements etc. Not difficult but detail work.

@saveasteading you are a "general purpose engineer". The numbers kind? Is there another kind? I studied first 'Engineering Science' - everything from semiconductor physics to metallurgy to soil mechanics. I still have a hand drawing of our old-fashioned theodolite work in the parks - not very accurate work if I remember. Enough knowledge about each subject to know which was was up but not enough to do any real work. @G and J are you soon to be setting out some footings? I'm still playing whack-a-mole with the planners, but there's half a chance that we will get permission before xmas. Or, they could string it out for another year. You have to be optimistic, no? >>> Checking stuff discretely after the workers have left avoids pressure and awkwardness. Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking of - spotting things going wrong before they actually go wrong. >>> But the very real gate is in the wrong place acc to the drawing. Nice ☺️. I knew the hive BH mind will have figured this out. Thanks.

Interesting...

Has anyone got some good methods for setting up and using site datums? Both FFL planes and also, if possible positions. Sure you want your site marked out by some experienced guys with a total station. But what will you ask them for? What kind of physical datums do you use? How do you protect the datums from being dislodged? How do you cope with general ground movement or do you ignore it? Given your plot won't be perfectly flat, how do you decide where your official ground level is relative to some absolute level ('ordnance datum'). How accurate in practice are total stations anyway? When your total station guys are not around how do check that something is in the right position? Do many people use their own station for convenience & accuracy anyway? etc etc etc. All tips gratefully received.

I'm thinking that we're going to end up flipping from E7-like cheap night leccy to cheap day leccy and expensive night time, no? Well, at least in the summer. On Octopus Agile (which is meant to reflect the 1/2 hour market rates) by and large I'm seeing fairly flat rates throughout the day & night except for Octopus's artificial bump between 4 & 7pm.

I don't get that. We have a barn conversion which is all timber - well apart from the founds, plasterboard etc. It doesn't have a mortgage but we've had no problems insuring it. Also, what do our lovely Scottish members do with their lovely timber framed houses?

@Nickfromwales >>> we found a chap who was ‘no win no fee’ that handled the DNO application on the clients behalf. Possible to give out his contact details? I think people & companies that do a good job should be shared openly - we all need a bit of help sometimes finding the right people.

Original fairly techy and detailed report here: https://ecoblock.berkeley.edu/blog/californias-growing-solar-and-wind-problem/# Summary here: https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2024-11-24/california-has-so-much-solar-power-that-increasingly-it-goes-to-waste So, will we get the same thing here one day?

>>> It's a John Guest ('JG') 8-zone base unit, and the thermostat is branded as 'Heatmiser', but I think that's a JG product too. Maybe it's compatible, but if you asked me to bet, I would bet not. The JG stats don't look like the Heatmiser ones and Heatmiser has their own range of controllers. Suggest finding the instructions for the controller and it will probably tell you which stats are compatible. Are you even sure the controller accepts wireless stats? So, find the instructions or call JG?

I'm still working on a similar problem, so the thread is very interesting. A couple of thihgs were pointed out to me recently: (1) unless you live near sea level, the actual water table / GWL is probably not just under the surface, the water we're seeing is probably some reflection of surface or perched water or maybe even water through clay using sand lenses, (2) if the water level is high then porous (sand, gravel, chalk) is actually a problem and clay is actually good - that's because the clay can be drained and won't refill quickly, but the porous stuff can't. I think this is still on topic. Passing a commercial site recently which I think is for domestic housing, I saw big scrapers, dozers etc and a tanker and some tractors with 'ground consolidation' on. What's that all about?

>>> decided to look at the drips and procrastinate What a wise man.

Wowee, got my EA permit today for my PTP drainage to an intermittent culvert. So, that's 6 months elapsed. The moral is to bother the EA on the phone until you're sure that the application is lodged in their system as it may well go astray. As ever, once you talk to an engineer type, everything starts to move from Kafkaesque to commonsensical.

>>> BCO has cost me a fortune by telling me to pay for something to be done then telling me, on his next visit, that what he asked me to do (& I've paid for) is not what needed to be done, & a new plan needs to be devised & paid for. I appreciate that BC often seems to have some special laws of nature for itself … but … it’s not unreasonable, unless new information has arrived, to expect some consistency of thinking and thorough explanations for any changes of position. Not ‘that’s just what I’m thinking today, it might be different tomorrow’. Take this up politely with their management and ask for a 2nd opinion?

>>> The ground floor quote came to what we were expecting but the upstairs is more than double that per m2 Ask them why? Is it the special chipboard? There are other systems. I think if you’re getting a lump sum quote for a bunch of stuff, drilling down into the detail is usually worthwhile. Have you got competitive quotes?

OK maybe not, but here’s a doc describing their policy if you’re searching for similar terms: https://www.eastsuffolk.gov.uk/assets/Planning/Planning-Policy-and-Local-Plans/Supplementary-documents/Housing-in-clusters/Housing-in-Clusters-and-Small-Scale-Residential-Development-in-the-Countryside-SPD-1.pdf I think there are a few threads here already re evaluating a plot btw. I remember posting a long list of considerations back when it was top of mind. Here’s one re diligence on plots already having PP: