garrymartin

We used Red Grandis on our garden room. Lovely material. https://co2grandis.co.uk/ The two photos are 2 years apart. The black staining on the second photo is just from the construction behind. The weathered look is best seen as the top boards before the roofline.

I remember fondly bringing all the 2400mm boards from the front of the house to the back garden, and I *especially* remember the 12.5mm full boards on the ceiling! Even with a lifter, because we were gluing them, it was a challenge that required help from good friends, and there were many curse words that day!! If we ever build, I'd be looking for min 2700mm ceilings, so as you say, the 2700mm boards would be ideal, but I'm with you on the manual handling - not sure I can face it 🙂

I have a guide pinned in my notes, but it seems very similar to this one online now https://fermacellplaksnes.lv/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/fermacell_Montazas-pamatprincipi-griesti-sienas-jumts-ENG.pdf The 2 stages are the edges and the screw holes with joint filler, then the FST skim. It's difficult to tell from your photo, but is the problem related to slumping on the initial fill? If so, the FST should cover this; however, you may want to check your mixing on the edge filler.

A template and a pattern-bearing bit in a router are also great for this.

It's a two-stage process - even says so in the Fermacell guides on filling. It's nigh on impossible to do it in one go without excess sanding afterwards. But once done, as you say, it's bulletproof. My entire garden room (including the ceilings!!) is full board 12.5mm, and it's as solid as anything. When the boards are glued together, there's also zero movement, and there are no cracks visible anywhere after at least eight years.

Not singling out @saveasteading specifically, but they posted last... 😉 The thread started with questions about both CDM and the new Building Regulations related PD role, but has then focussed almost entirely on the CDM responsibilities. For the BR side, it's not all about safe working, it's about ensuring compliance to BR in design activity.

Which came first, the building or the main... 😉 You are spot on that you need to talk to the water company. There are special rules relating to existing situations and special situations. Let's say there was a water main 1m from a town centre row of buildings, but there was supposed to be a 6m easement (3m either side of the main). It is acceptable in these circumstances for a 1m from the buildings and 5m at the other side in these special circumstances. Generally it's just the amount of space that contractors would require to safely work on it. And as you've found out, the centreline isn't always that accurately surveyed! Just speak to the water company; they will be able to advise you on what you need to be aware of.

Generally, you will have a deed that stipulates an easement strip. The size of the strip depends on the water company and the size of the pipe. The deed associated with my plot stipulates a 10m strip (5m either side) for a 3-inch PVC water main, but the local water company have confirmed in writing that they would accept a 6m strip (3m either side). In this strip, you can't build anything. Example wording from the deed attached for your reference. Looks like you would probably be with Scottish Water, and for an 18" (450mm) main, you'd be looking at 6m either side, 12m strip in total - see https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/-/media/ScottishWater/Document-Hub/Business-and-Developers/Connecting-to-our-network/All-connections-information/190718AssetPolicyStandardWaterMainsProtectionDistanceFeb16.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Quick update. The LPA Statement of Case was quite poor - they even misrepresented my "brownfield" status by saying residential gardens are excluded according to the NPPF, but only residential gardens in urban areas are excluded, and we aren't in an urban area. You would think professional planners in Local Authorities would know these things, but apparently not... I have provided a robust response to the points they make in my Final Comments, and also found several appeals that agree with my position that I should not be required to pay an affordable housing contribution, which was fantastic. One particular appeal directly references the points I made in both my application and Statement of Case, so I have included that as a reference. Should save me £12,797 if the appeal is allowed! Now we just wait. Current determination timings are 27 weeks (median) and 29 weeks (mean). From our start date, that would be 21st October or 4th November. Fingers crossed it is earlier.

@Roger440 I see from another thread that you had been quoted for a non-residential connection for three-phase instead of residential. Just popping that note in this thread for any future readers. I assume your new quote is more to your liking? 😉

I think there is a nuance here, a little like the digger and driver scenario. If Electrician 1 does a design for you, but electrician 2 installs it, only the second electrician's services are zero-rated. If Electrician 1 does a design and the installation for you (under a single contract), my understanding is that the whole amount can be zero-rated - i.e. design and build, supply and fit...

When I submitted my previous appeal, it took 178 days for it to be deemed valid and to get a start date. For my current appeal, it took 11 days, so at least the time taken to get to the start seems to be much quicker, even if the statistics still show the same sort of determination timings. My previous appeal start date to site inspection was 127 days, and then the decision came 32 days after that. We were never told who the Inspector was and only found out when the appeal was dismissed, and we were sent the paperwork. If you're in a queue waiting for an Inspector to become available, then I assume all appeals that don't have an Inspector allocated will be waiting similar times. Whether you get the jump the queue if you need a reallocation, I doubt anyone will know.

I note in another topic that Buildhub have enabled blogging for you @Great_scot_selfbuild so you should see the option now.

Starting a Blog Many members choose to record their project by using the forum’s blog facility. A blog is a great way of recording your progress and sharing it with others. The blog functionality can be enabled via a request using the Contact Us link at the bottom of the forum. Once the functionality has been enabled you will have the ability to ‘Create Blog’ from within your user profile.

Do they have an existing wayleave for the overhead installation? What does that say? When was it put in place?

I'll caveat this with "I don't know the situation in Scotland"... but they cannot deal with it in England if there is no legal basis. And even where there is a legal basis, they can't do anything - it would be the person who benefits from the deed that would need to instigate enforcement action. Imagine the scenario. Your neighbour gets planning permission, but it's only safe to access their property if the land you own remains clear so that the visibility splay isn't obstructed. You want to put some hedging in, but the LHA would come along and tell you you can't, on your land, because of the neighbours? Or you put it in, and they come and tell you to take it out? On what legal basis? My advice is to tread carefully here.

You'll need something like the following in a deed from your neighbour(s). I have a very similar situation, but luckily, the deed was already in place. You won't get permission without it. The land needs to be "in your control". It's not enough that you might be able to "see" currently, if it is not in your control, someone could put up hedges etc. and you, and the LPA, would have no legal recourse to have them removed / trimmed back. You'll also need to check how far your LPA allow you to come into the road. Ours only allows a maximum of 600mm, and only then in specific circumstances.

It's not clear what point you are measuring your left and right visibility splays to, but it appears to be the centre of the road. That's not correct. Also, to the left, it looks like the road goes round a bend which changes the way the splay might be measured too. The existing access does not make any difference. There's no requirement in law to retrospectively enforce visibility splays unless their is a prominent safety issue, but new accesses have to adhere to the rules. You could try a speed survey to see if recorded speeds are less than 30mph, but it might not work in your favour if they are above that and the splays increase in distance... All land must be in your control. Not necessarily ownership, but you would need more than just agreement, you would need some sort of legal basis such as a deed or similar. Your 2.4m back is from the "channel-line" and not necessarily the edge of the road. The channel-line is normally the markings you see at the edge of a road, but that may not be the case here. Some Local Authorities allow you to measure up to 1.0m into the road, others do not (see example image for visibility splays on bends from Leicestershire County Council for example).

See

Two is still shared... 😉

Maybe not both doors on either side wide open, but you'd be able to manoeuvre a car in that space and get the driver's door open for exit. If that's the plan, I'd stick with 4 bedrooms and a higher resale value. Also, there is nowhere near enough wardrobe space for the master bedroom. If you need the cupboard that opens onto the landing, then move it to the bathroom - you don't need 2.125 metres of space for a standard bath. Then you might even consider coming around the corner towards the door of the bedroom, creating an L-shaped wardrobe space. You could even move the door closer to the bay window to provide more space for further wardrobes or a dressing table. In the two bedrooms on the left (assuming you keep them) swap the wardrobes around so that the bedroom at the top left doesn't have its door opening onto a wardrobe but instead onto a wall. It's not clear from the plan, but what type of road do you exit the drive onto? Will the LPA want to see you exit in forward gear at all? I can't make my mind up about the best options for the space on the ground floor, but I'd respectfully say it needs work. Others have provided some good options. If East is to the back of the house, you're getting morning sun, so kitchen and dining room would not be too bad. I think I'd probably move the set of six doors to the left, losing the two doors on the left in the process, and replacing them with a window at the far right. This would allow more work surface in a U configuration to the rear wall (sink with window to garden?) and the potential re-alignment of the island as a peninsula. Or play with the dining room and utility location (with a bit of kitchen redesign) to give you a kitchen/dining/living space from the back to the front of the house, and your utility behind your garage. Then the garage door could be into the new utility space giving you space for cloaks where you currently have some wasted space to provide a door into the garage. Think that's probably enough to confuse you for now! 😉

You need to clarify this with them. I would suggest it is best to get your current connection upgraded, but only you can decide the best course of action. If it is a second connection, then I'm not sure how you would be charged and whether you are allowed two residential connections for a single dwelling. Not at that stage. Still at the planning appeal stage. But my expectation based on the new OFGEM rules is that the transformer replacement should not be at my cost - it is network reinforcement and a shared asset. Furthermore, it is likely more properties served by the current transformer will want to move to having heat pumps and EV charging; it's not just me that will make use of it. Are you the only dwelling served by this transformer? That may change things...

Possibly before the latest OFGEM changes to clarify cost apportionment between network reinforcement versus connection. However, at least for National Grid (ex. Western Power), single-phase is 80A standard now (they will only provide 100A in very exceptional circumstances), and three-phase is 3x60A.

Rubbish. A conductor is the overhead or underground cable. Also not true. Doesn't matter whether it is single-phase or three-phase. What matters is that it is a residential connection. Standing charges are the same for single-phase and for three-phase on residential connections. I think you may be confusing conversations about non-residential connections, i.e. three-phase for businesses.

If there is a 3-phase transformer and connection on the pole in your field, why do they need to add a third conductor for reinforcement? Surely there are already three? At the moment, your two quoted comments are contradictory. How many wires connect to the pole and transformer? Here's the one at my plot. You can see that three conductors are available (underground cable, up the pole), but only two are currently connected to a single-phase transformer. So in my case, the replacement of the single-phase transformer with a 3-phase transformer should be a network reinforcement that I am not charged for. The 3-phase cable is already available at the pole.