ETC

Why would you bed it in mortar? I would normally see the wall plate bolted to the top of the beam and not mortared. Check with your architect/SE but I would expect the bolt fixings to be staggered.

Try this: Dig a small (foundation) trench - say about 4m long - possibly a couple of metres from the correct location of a gable wall. The BCO will inspect the trench and deem the works to have started and will record that the foundation trench does not comply (insufficient amount of foundation trench excavated to warrant compliant works). The fact that it is in the wrong location is immaterial - BCO couldn’t care less where you build it as long as it’s in the same general location. Once the BCO has left the site fill the trench in. Job done - application commenced. PS - Expect to get an Inspection Fee Invoice in the post if your fees were split into plan fee and inspection fee.

You need to give it a bit of a “wow” factor. Change the external finish and make it appear a bit lighter on the roof.

Fill with water and make it a pond. The English do like a pond.

Fill it with concrete.

In my view BC shouldn’t be getting involved in how the works are completed - unless they are following the recommendations of the structural engineer for the works - their remit is to ensure the works are carried out in accordance with Building Regulations and are not responsible for ensuring the site is safe. If however a BC officer comes across an unsafe site it would be prudent for him or her to leave the site and to contact the HSE as soon as it was prudent to do so. Can you post some photographs of the works. I’d like to see exactly what is going on.

Just wondering what you need to know?

What’s the question?

I cannot understand why this is deemed a dangerous structure by BC. Their remit only extends to areas that the public have access to so if this is a private residence the legislation will not apply. If I’m reading this right the back of a semi-detached house is open, a boiler is running and foundations have been excavated. If you are merely concerned about health and safety I suggest you contact the HSE who may wish to have a quiet word with the occupant of the dwelling in relation to health and safety on site.

Although you may discuss it with BC they will still insist that the house complies. Think of it this way - if there was a fire in the kitchen and smoke filled the staircase you have effectively ruled out escaping from bedrooms through the staircase. Yes - there are EEWs but if you have small children there is no way that you are going out the EEW without collecting your children from their bedrooms. Ultimately the Regulations and the Approved Documents/Technical Booklets are there to protect you and your home. To ignore them can be dangerous and foolhardy. I do not agree with those posters who advise you to put a door in temporarily and remove it once the Completion Certificate is issued. It’s dangerous. Having said that you might wish to seek legal advice in relation to the liability for the cost to make the works comply. Good luck.

Fill the side gaps with gravel.

Looks like you have a protected staircase in which case all doors to habitable space need to be fire doors.

It is yes. Basically it says that guarding should be provided to a sunken area within 3m of the building ie to a drop within 3m of the building. By extension if it’s beyond 3m guarding is not needed. It’s not what it says but what it doesn’t say. TBH paragraph 5.2.

Listen to your wife.

The old cliches really are the best - painting the architect as the “Arfur Daly” type in his Jag on the golf course with his Rotary friends in his sheepskin coat charging a shed load of cash to draw a pretty picture or two. You must’ve had a really bad experience with your “architect” - if he or she was actually an architect. Get the right professionals and contractors on board who have the right experience and who can deliver your project on time and within your budget. There are plenty of people like this about - not on Instagram or TikTok - who will save you money and give you a great design.

Who’s asked for the fire doors? Can you post a plan?

As other people have said fit a restrictor stay or stays to the balcony doors.

Yes they can. 28 days.

Paint it black.

Yep.

Of course it does. It’s certainly not a good reflection of BCOs.

In my experience: While BC won’t ask for as-built drawings - but if changes are noted on site BC - for example to structural steelwork - BC will ask for updated design information from the SE including calculations. Rarely ask for as-built drainage or as-built cladding specification but will check what has been built on site and if found to be completely different - fire safety or thermal performance for example - will ask for amended information to be submitted.

Technically BC - certainly here in NI - do not give stage approval and as the old song goes - it’s not over until the fat lady sings. That is to say the works are not approved until the Completion Certificate is issued and if a BCO does see something on a further inspection that doesn’t appear correct it can be picked up. It’s not fair and it stinks of incompetency by both the original and subsequent BCO. Having said all that it’s very bad form for an inspector to re-inspect works previously inspected by a colleague. Why someone would want to give themselves extra work to do is beyond me. When inspecting steelwork BCO will normally compare what is on site with what has been designed by the SE. If something on site looks odd or off it’s flagged up with the applicant but again in this case it would need to have been very much off or looked ver odd for the original surveyor to miss it and for the next surveyor to pick it up. Same thing with the drainage. I’m sorry - and even though it sounds absurd - I’d do whatever the second surveyor asks for. To do anything else you’d be flogging a dead horse and giving yourself additional stress. I would however ask the second inspector why these things weren’t picked up originally and let him know that the process has had a financial implication for your project.

Really? The paperwork needed to reflect what was built - why?

Can you post a couple of pictures?