garrymartin

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.

Excellent idea, but I think I'd also put it on wheels to understand turning circles and pivots. If you just carry the timberframe, you may not account for the full range of movement of the static without being able to lift that too...

https://www.proclima.com/products/connections/adhesive-tapes/glumex about £10

Isn't it A1F? "reinforced bitumen-bonded building paper laminate" It might be why people can't find it at builders' merchants if they are searching for AF1 in their systems. Loads of places have it in stock online. As to whether it should be used or not, sorry, can't help there.

Agree with all of the above. Planning Permission does not override the covenant. It's not uncommon for planning permission to be granted for something that cannot lawfully be implemented. If the Local Authority is the successor, then they need to formally release you from the covenant.

Congratulations!

Although the UK-Ultra can do a wireless backhaul on mesh, I'm pretty sure it is POE only for power, so you'll need a POE injector if you only have a power point. Ubiquiti kit is rock solid, and I've not had any problems over many years. It would be my first choice for any future installs or upgrades.

What were the reasons for it being referred to committee?

If I've read this correctly, that's a 175mm slab with two sets of mesh reinforcement. Can I ask what site conditions have led to that design choice?

Long shot, but could you possibly have argued that the "stereo" element, along with the lights and various sensors, forms part of an "alarm system" which is allowable? Can't help with the intercom though...

Openreach has a good guide for developers that has all the information you might need https://www.openreach.com/content/dam/openreach/openreach-dam-files/new-dam-(not-in-use-yet)/documents/help-support/New-Sites-Fibre-Handbook-August-2024-online.pdf

I don't know who the Inspector will be, but I doubt you'd get the same one twice.