Alan Ambrose

I'm a bit surprised when people talk about 'building regs design' as though is just another paperwork hurdle. To my mind, that's where the real meat of the design is and where the quality is added - post the architect's overall look-and-feel for planning, which is of course important.

This is really for costs for grown-up appeals rather than self-build - but probably more than you ever wanted to know... Also: https://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/procedure-rules/civil/rules/part-47-procedure-for-detailed-assessment

>>> slowly constructing a toilet enclosure ventilation maybe?

That's it reallly

Thanks, very helpful. I also see some fee info here, but I need to sign up for a trial... Guide to Planning Consultants | PlanningResource >>> So I think you'll need to agree your costs with the LPA and then if they don't agree, you'll need to take them to court... Is that what your Costs Decision letter says? Yes, in effect, it refers me to this page: Appeals - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) All a bit obscure, but I think I need to send a typical legal-ish demand to the LPA, maybe including an N260 form. There's also reference to a regional costs judge for smallish stuff like this. At last this gets properly legal instead of the pseudo-legal nature of the appeals procedure. You also seem to be able to claim for time creating the costs demand etc., attending court etc, so the threat is of escalating costs if the LPA don't fold. There's probably a standard set of civil procedure rules for costs awards. How is the amount settled where an award is made? The Inspector or Secretary of State can only address the principle of whether costs should be awarded in full or in part, and not the amount – this is settled subsequently between the parties. Where a costs order is made, the party awarded should first send details of their costs to the other party, with a view to reaching agreement on the amount. Where costs are awarded against a party and the parties cannot agree on a sum, the successful party can apply to the Senior Courts Costs Office. Paragraph: 044 Reference ID: 16-044-20140306 Revision date: 06 03 2014 What if the party does not pay? Once the Planning Inspectorate has made an award of costs, it has no further role and it is for the parties to negotiate the amount and to agree on the arrangements for payment. Failure to settle an award of costs is enforceable through the Courts as a civil debt. If a party has any doubt about how to proceed in a particular case, they should seek legal advice. Paragraph: 045 Reference ID: 16-045-20140306 Revision date: 06 03 2014

>>> Don't make the mistake of thinking about salaried hourly rates I wasn't ... I spent most of my life working as a consultant, I just don't know the typical range for that particular business. Word says 2,742 minutes editing the 16 page final comments doc, i.e. 45.7 hours - which sounds about right to me. The inspector thinks there are essentially two issues and one of them involved unreasonable behaviour by the LPA: "Based on the information before me, I find that in the case of Appeal A, unreasonable behaviour resulting in unnecessary or wasted expense, as described by the PPG, has been demonstrated due to the introduction of an additional issue beyond the likely reasons for refusal, specifically concerning the scale and design of the proposal and its effect on the setting of the nearby listed building. Therefore, a partial award of costs is justified, limited to those costs incurred by the applicant in relation to this specific matter." So, that suggests 45.7 hours * 50% * £150 ~= £3.5K? p.s. I didn't include time for my original statement of case as the two new issues we're only introduced by the LPA in it's own statement of case (it totally ignored mine) and were therefore only addressed in my final comments doc.

That’s easy, doing it while on the phone and in the rain is hard…

What you don’t want, of course, is the goal posts moving

Surely which regs you use is related to when you start, not when you engage BC?

Anyone have an idea of a planning consultant’s hour or day rate once I’ve figured the no of hours?

Or big screw plus big assed jemmy https://www.screwfix.com/p/roughneck-gorilla-wrecking-bar-48-/29330 May just be easier to replace that bit of 4x2. I think I’ve found on average that about 5% of lengths get out of shape quite quickly otherwise they stay straight-ish.

Does anyone have any example costs for writing the statement of case, assembling the appendices, writing the final comments etc i.e. all the steps involved in lodging an appeal. Preferably with a page count of the docs I just mentioned. The inspector has awarded me costs, but as I wrote the docs myself, I need to come up with a reasonable number. If anyone doesn't want to give out numbers publicly, feel free to message me directly.

I think you need a new plumber. Some experienced people here on BH have installed / will install UFH in the slab. Means a bit of care, but you need a bit of care installing it in screed anyway.

Since you have not told us what the current design looks like or what your proposed changes are, we’re largely in the dark. So here’s a contingent answer: If the footprint is the same, the ridge height the same or lower, the style not crazily shifted from modernist to gothic revival, no new windows facing neighbours etc, then maybe a non-material change for external materials, window position and internal layout. Call the annex bit a ‘granny annex’. You might just want to go with a full app so you’re not constrained by the current design at all. No need to make the house huge if that’s not what you want. Start by being honest in the pre-app, perhaps make the design so that the LPA won’t suspect it’s a closet semi - they can get stroppy if they think there’s a chance they’re being misled.

In that case, I would either use no seal at all or EPDM rope smaller than your existing seal. In industry, it’s fairly common to make up your own o-rings. The unknown is what make the existing pipe is, so the seal for that could be different to the elbows you’re using.

>>> This isn't about using more electricity, its about being able to time-shift higher loads into an off-peak window, So, using less electricity overall but potentially higher peak loads? And using cheap electricity when it’s available? A lot of Germany’s domestic supply is 3P and the Germans invented the PH principles. But beware of just adding up the peak loads and assuming you will want them all pulling peak at the same time. It’s a functional and statistical thing, but it’ll never happen. For instance, unusually for the UK, I have a flat that has 3P at 67A per phase, so 200A. The building doesn’t have great insulation and my power usage is about 11,000 kWh pa. That’s an average of 5.5A against a fuse rating of 200A. I would guess my peak is never more than 25A and I have electrical resistance heating, that is, it’s all instantaneous load. As I said go for it if you want. You can also install 3P but use only single phase. You can also use single phase for the majority of the house, but 3P for some appliances. Bear in mind that tariffs will change over time. For instance, I think it’s possible that excess PV production on the grid during the sunny summer months may make daytime electricity super cheap in the middle of the summer day. I think you then just need to guide your installer so the whole thing probably isn’t 3P. The big decision is whether you have 3P PV inverters. That gives you a potential higher export possibility but at the cost of higher plant & install costs, less choice and more complexity. It also means you need a more intelligent or experienced sparky - very few have 3P experience.

Would this kind of thing help do you think? https://www.toolstation.com/arctic-hayes-silicone-grease/p45065

I wonder whether the seals you have are correct for the pipe you’re using. Maybe the existing pipe is an old imperial size or something? For general groundwater drainage I don’t see much wrong with using, say, epdm rope or even no seals at all. In a recent thread, I found the existing 300mm twinwall had been squashed so was wider than it was high. I have not completed that job yet but anticipate using ratchet straps / levering with a fork on either side to make it rounder. That’s not your problem? I did spend a couple of hours measuring everything v carefully before I figured out what was going on. Another possibility are the rubber joiners - there are asymmetrical ones of those i.e. 300mm to 300+x. See:

Pro forma invoice are not ‘real’ invoices in accounting terms - they’re a bit like quotes i.e. an offer to supply for that price - they don’t prove you accepted the ‘quote’ or paid or took delivery. While HMRC might not notice, they’re quite within their rights to reject. You should be able to get real copy invoices after-the-fact from reputable suppliers.

Personally I would use Bedec barn paint.

>>> Its more interesting too. Ho ho ho. By all means have 3P if you want and if there’s little additional cost. You can always use just one phase for the house if you like. There is a bit of an anomaly though - you want the 1000hp of a Bugatti veyron while supposedly running a passivehouse which is sipping energy like a Prius? There will also be additional cost and less choice and more complexity for 3P inverters, batteries etc - if you decide you need them. I think it’s possible also that we might all end up paying a premium for peak loads - it’s that that impacts the capital expenditure on the grid after all. France has this kind of arrangement in a basic form - with higher payment for a higher main fuse (and therefore peak load). Also, that’s how your fixed line internet works - you pay for higher max bandwidth. Once you have a smart meter, then all sorts of innovative charging schemes can by created with very simple software changes at your electricity supplier.

I asked the other 1/2 who works for central goverment. While the management can be asked to do all sorts of planning ahead of an election, it shouldn't affect the staff except for say, major planning decisions which might get held back to avoid rocking the political boat.

They also sell some special lubricant although I'd be tempted to use washing up liquid otherwise. Can you twist them in by rotating on the axis of the installed pipe? It can get pretty messy when you're down a muddy hole wrestling pipe 😄. I know it's easy to say 'ensure the pipe & seal area is clean' but any mud, grit etc will increase the friction by loads.

Impressed that they found the doc. 1956 I think rather than 1936. Are those numbers in shillings?

Not a good start… https://www.planningportal.co.uk/services/weekly-planning-news/planning-news-29-august-2024 I’m on week 53 with one and the inspector just figured out the LPA didn’t file a bunch of docs they referred to - a dozen or more. So much for ‘validation’. Don’t know why ‘the election’ would hold them up.