Ferdinand

Can your window film bloke supply you with a 10 sq cm sample of the opaque version? Out of sight... Emoticon required of lacrimose crocodilian ?.

Yes - talk to the Council. They will probably give you a quote a reason why they will not. A small number of thousands would - I guess be a target price - and if it goes well into 5 figures without a good reason they are probably trying too hard. But probably talk about Amenity Land rather than Planning Permission, and check out a few auctions to see what the prices are for random bits of council land. May be worth a check on value with a local pro. If it gets sticky, remember that they have a duty to help self-builders under the most recent NPPF, with which you can prod helpfully. You will want to talk to the Legal Team or Estates rather than Planners. There is a ditty that I just doggerelled: "The Self-Builder's coming, Oho, Oho !" "The Self-Builder's coming, Oho, Oho !" "The Self-Builder's coming to help out our budget!" "The Self-Builder's coming, Oho, Oho !" Ferdinand

There are these things called diagonal braces ... ?

Small commercial dishwashers have more sensible arrangements. The place where I volunteer has things like those plastic square bread trays that are used for deliveries to shops. And they just lift out once the drying cycle is done and sit on the worktop. eg https://adexa.co.uk/Dishwashers-Glasswashers-18/Dishwasher-Racks-62 Ferdinand

I have biscuits and crisps where the other oven used to be.

There are these things calls wheels...

I think you need to re-envision your front view. Rather than thinking a glass fronted cave, try taking inspiration from what the contents used to be and perhaps block out sections to reflect that rather than an open building. You could even do an open bit in the middle to reflect a different type of barn door. What about: 1 - Think about the texture of a stored haystack and having a section with a smaller-squared criss-cross type texture. 2 - Block out a couple of entire sections with wall, perhaps with tiny windows inserted. 3 - If you have some entirely open sections, why not have a row of wide shallow vents just below eaves level at the back - to give excellent purge ventilation. I think that a combination of whole sections if wall, in addition to 'windows', will read better - the barn use would be structured that way when it was a barn. I think there is potential advantage in a big water feature (reflecting pool) across a large chunk of the front - either at ground level or sit-on-wall level. If you so chose, you could run under slab cooling into that. Ferdinand

This has now started. The custom shower screen had a quite remarkable cutout for the hinge. F

Depends on the person and the wheelchair. My mum is currently 4'10" and shrinking, and for the last few days in a wheelchair. She cannot reach the back of a normal worktop. On the dishwasher, she can pull the tray out, and then reach the crocks from the side on our normal ground level full size dishwasher. Given that you are 30% taller, it is an interesting line to walk. How tall is your management?

Find yourself Series 9 Ep 6 of Grand Designs, and it is a build in this form. Round roofed barn conversion near Marlborough. There will be some ideas that transfer. F

problem for wheelchair users, perhaps.

Would you concur that whilst a PC has a lifetime, it can become unenforceable.. which could be argued as ‘expiring’? eg I have a neighbouring landing window overlooking a drive, and I think it is conditioned to be obscured. They have left it unobscured and is have not bothered .. as a non habitable room it does not bother me so I have left it. This was 2005 so I believe unenforceable. F

Once you have your facts, sequence and t8ming are key. May be worth a little Planning Consultant advice.

That may have something to do with boundaries between town and country being more permeable in Scotland, both in the mind and in planning policy. F

No. I have a Bear Fridge ('Lie-bherr"), made from 2 halves one of which is a freezer. It is still the best fridge on the forum, I assert. In my case the two dishwashers is very much to do with saving walking around and keeping the main crocks close together, and keeping movements simple and repetitive. Pans tend to get handwashed. Probably would be identical for simplicity of controls. I have umpteen fridge magnets, including potentially one which says "Who attached Thanet to Kent?". I have the flag aspect sorted, but have concerns about getting two dishwashers past someone who refuses to buy even slightly posh jars of marmalade. Paddington Bear, where are thou in my hour of need? * Ferdinand (* Apropos of not very much, I would go a long way to see a production of A Winters' Tale where "Exit, pursued by a bear" turned out to be Paddington Bear carrying a handsaw and half a kitchen table, or Yogi Bear in search of a sandwich.)

You are playing at least 2 games here - to prevent financial cost later or to make sure that you create / retain a viable driveway wrt to the planners, planning conditions etc. I can comment on the former. If you have been using it for a period (say a year or more) and supply a Statement of Truth, an indemnity policy may be possible via your solicitor to protect you from financial loss if something appears out of thin air that buggers you later. That is, if you create an entrance which relies on that visibility splay, use it, and someone does something to undermine the splay later - financial loss you suffer (eg loss of value of house) may be insurable as you are covering an uncertain event. That could be used to cover the lower sale price that will result when you sell if your neighbour has poleaxed you, or potentially financial loss if you have to buy them off, or if your house falls in value wrt to the mortgage. In these circs, you need to avoid your uncertain event become a more likely event until after you have insured against it, and this would rely on you not investigating too far and getting it past planning without being explicit eg simply assert that the splay of OK and hope they do not require proof. In a situation I had, the key aspect was that creating an established use which had not been enforced against over a short period of time, which meant there was no expectation that that would happen later. That made it insurable (I understand). Obviously, if you go and find the company who will enforce against you before you get that in place, the event is no longer uncertain, so you have shot your own fox wrt an indemnity policy. The situation I was mitigating against was where the seller (of a renovated house) to me had not got exact planning permission for what they had done and there was also a civil issue, and imo there was a residual risk that a neighbour could theoretically inhibit a parking space, which would have an impact on the value of a property and reduce the value. A solicitor was able to obtain an indemnity policy on the value loss at a good price once the space had been in use. It would in effect make the property mortgageable for a future buyer at full (not slightly reduced) value. I could not comment on whether you could insure against being buggered by the planners on a particular aspect. You need a strategy that will make both the planning and future value risks acceptable to you. Devil is in the detail, and do not saw off your branches before you realise you need them to sit on. What you do not tell planners and people will be as important as what you do. I think I would start with the road - if it is a serious road that the planners will not skim over or miss, then you will have to tackle it head on, and hope the access restriction by next door does not happen. If it is a minor road, or a place where you can create an entrance as of right, there is more room to JFDI. Ferdinand

It would be useful to have more detail as to the application. I have used simple planked-design external upvc doors for internal locations before now, but context matters. Are you after a good price, a difficult duplication of an existing door, a known company, sound insulation, heat insulation, fire proof etc? The simple concept is not unusual afaics. Cheers F

(Brief visions of Two Tassle Tessie until I regrouped. Paul Daniels and his Bunco Booth - gone, but not forgiven.) For me it will be tidiness, and also that the plates cupboard is on the other side of the room. Useful to keep mum moving as the Dr ordered, but perhaps now a bit much.) I can see the benefit for everyday crocks, and keep the more special stuff in cupboards. Will respond to the thread later when I have a time in space. Or should that be space in time? F

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-47611086 or https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0

I know a couple of people have gone for kitchen designs with two dishwashers, used alternately? Is this successful? What compromises are involved? (Just thinking about it ... having one each side of the sink ... as a way of reducing travel around the kitchen to make it more suitable for mum as she becomes. A little less mobile.) Ferdinand

I think I spy offcuts of quadrant.

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Phwoarrr !!!

Can we avoid *too* many diversions on this topic ... intended as a long term resource thread. (Said with the full authority that I haven’t got).

I think I have already posted answers to some of the above in other threads eg elegant grab handles. Will drop pointers in. My mum has been in her wheelchair for the last week or so due to a sudden weight loss / weakness, and it has been ... interesting. Has moved downstairs about 3 days ago,so my time is being swallowed at present. We just have room to wheel her in by the loo in the bathroom I have documented. This is because she is very small, and the wheelchair is folding so it can ‘breathe in’ slIghtly to fit. One real detail is that the existing 400mm bathroom rad is wide enough to keep the wheelchair an extra 2” out from the wall. If I switch that for a 300 then it will fit between the chair handles which means she will have to come 2” less forward to move onto the look. It sounds small, but when you are only just able to stand up it is a big difference. F