garrymartin

When we asked this question of MBC, they said they didn't, but they did have a partner company they work with that you could contract directly with if you wanted. Or you could use your architect.

I think we're going to have to agree to disagree on this one @Mattg4321 - even the OSG states "The current demand of a final circuit is determined by adding the current demands of all points of utilisation and equipment in the circuit and, where appropriate, making an allowance for diversity." I'd argue that it isn't appropriate when you have a final circuit (radial) feeding a single appliance such as an induction hob or an oven as there aren't multiple points of utilisation. AFAIK, the Cooking Appliances calculation has been in the guides with the same information since at least 1966, so I'd argue it's long overdue for an update to take into account modern cooking appliances and installation approaches! 🙂

I think the calculations you are referring to relate to the design current for the protective device, not the size of the cable you should put in. But caveat, I'm not an electrician either... 😉

Diversity only applies where there are multiple loads on a single cable. Whilst it might be appropriate for my combination oven and warming drawer example, it's not appropriate for the induction hob, as this is the only load on the radial circuit. Same reasons as for an electric shower - diversity isn't applied because it's the only load on the circuit.

There's a whole series of tables and calculations related to cable and protective device sizing in BS 7671. Start with this video to understand how complex it can get and why your electrician should be doing the relevant calculations. By the way, 100% agree with the comment about personal research so that you are informed and can pose sensible questions and query statements. But you really want the electrician to be professionally responsible for the calculations and installation.

If you've got an electrician, why aren't they doing the necessary calculations? You have to consider voltage drop over the distances you mention, as well as the route the cable will take and whether any of that route is insulated. Some induction hobs are in the 11kW range. If your oven uses pyrolytic cleaning, and it's a double oven, even 6mm2 may not be enough. At the extreme, an 11kW induction hob at the end of a 25m run of cable enclosed in insulation could need a 25mm2 cable and a 50A RCBO or equivalent. Can't stress strongly enough that your electrician should be looking at these sorts of considerations and advising you on the appropriate cable sizes. Like @Russell griffiths we have 10mm2 to an induction hob, 6mm2 to a pyrolytic single oven, and 6mm2 to a combination pyrolytic oven/microwave which also serves a warming drawer, all on radial circuits with their own RCBOs.

Perfectly fine. Crossing has fewer issues than running in parallel, and even that is not a big deal given the number of cables and voltages we are talking about in residential construction.

You can definitely do it alone @Andeh assuming you have the skills, but you will also need a helper at various points for help with lifting, holding, etc. I built a 3.6m x 4.8m (external, excluding cladding) garden room with a garden store in 2018 with help from my wife. We kept the internal floor area under 15m2 as we were building close to the boundary, and the eaves height below 2.5m for the same reason. Hence no planning permission or building regulations requirement. It cost just over £12K at that time, but that included absolutely everything, including the 3m bifolds, all internal finishing and various sundry tools I bought to make it easier to build. It didn't include the cost of the insulated concrete base and the dwarf wall, as those costs were included in the garden design and landscaping bill.

The biggest IKEA Hemmes bathroom cabinet I can find still weighs less than 40KG. Even when loaded up, there are plenty of fixings that will work without you having to cut out plasterboard. As @Russell griffiths suggests, toggle fixings would work, but I prefer to use GripIt Plasterboard Fixings. They're available at places like Toolstation or Amazon, and come in varying sizes depending on the load you're fixing. The 25mm versions can handle 113KG - see https://www.gripitfixings.co.uk/

I believe the Part M document refers to "wall-mounted sockets" in relation to the minimum distances. AFAIK, floor-mounted sockets are still allowed, but always best to check with your BCO for their guidance.

It is. And if you have multiple different cabling uses (network, cctv, TV distribution, etc.) it comes in a wide variety of colours. It seems to be a favourite of many high-end installers.

I don't have detailed comparisons, but my understanding is that depending on various factors, it can be 50% to 200% or more expensive than standard double glazing. If you're really restricted from a listed building approval perspective, that may be something that's financially palatable though.

Oh, also, something else I learned on Buildhub from @Dan1983 is Astragal bars which are decorative, surface-mounted strips applied to both the inside and outside of double or triple-glazed window panes to create the authentic, subdivided appearance of traditional small-paned Georgian windows. They might be useful for your situation, given your original images.

Take a look at https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/adapting-historic-buildings-energy-carbon-efficiency-advice-note-18/ released in February 2026. I also recently learned about vacuum double glazing when I was looking at similar issues on listed buildings. Might be of interest if you can't get approval for standard double glazing. https://www.vacuumglazing.co.uk/landvac-enhance-heritage-vacuum-glazing/

CAT6 will do 10Gbps so long as the cable isn't very long (37-55m max generally). You can't go wrong with TruHD Cat 6 HDBaseT Cable - tested to 500MHz, so good for 10Gbps if needed. Details and pricing - https://www.fscables.com/products/cat-6-hdbaset.html Datasheet - https://www.fscables.com/sites/admin/plugins/elfinder/files/fscables/Datasheets/C6T00-E00.pdf