Ferdinand

I would not suggest that it is difficult, but that it is very painful (potentially) if you get it wrong. My conservatory is similar in some ways (I left a narrow maintenance alley down the rhs, and it has a lot of roof draining towards it), and I have some problems that are currently being addressed. And I see you are taking your dividing wall out. F

Stats - usually Planning is relatively straightforward: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/812867/Planning_Applications_January_to_March_2019_-_statistical_release.pdf

I think you need PP anyway, as you are within 2m of a boundary. And I don't think it will be a "conservatory": "In the UK the legal definition of a conservatory is that it is a building with at least 50% side walls and 75% roof area with translucent glass or polycarbonate glazing" https://www.eygwindows.co.uk/lifestyle-blog/do-you-need-planning-permission-for-a-conservatory You are already under 50%, unless you make a glass wall facing his bricks. Sorry to post that. Given PP requirement, I think I would be looking at a real roof spanning from your existing wall to the neighbour (and coming to an agreement whilst his roof is still in bits, with you giving him a small benefit - once it is finished it will be much more difficult), then considering how to link to the existing, A full width room, or with perforations in the existing wall, will be much more attractive, and - given Chiswick (I lived in Grove Park for a couple of years) - you should get it back on the value. Things that matter are light to your middle room, and maintainability of whatever your build, and new drains and waterhandling (and maintenance thereof). It will be easy to create a nightmare. One thing you have not said is whether you want something warm or cool. If it looks like a conservatory you will not get the benefit on valuations. F

I think that up until recently the sprinkler industry had a claim that no one had ever been killed in a house fitted with sprinklers in the UK. Obvs that is a carefully nuanced claim, but I am impressed. I think the number is now one. So they do save lives istm. The issue in Wales was that in Cost Per Life terms as used in the public health type evaluation there were lower cost things that would save more lives, but they went ahead on a political decision. You only need to remember that it will take 100 years for half of the stock to have sprinklers with no retrofits (ie approx 1% new stock each year) to see the slowness of impact. F

I think this is another one that is in Shooters Hill And has been an Airbnb for a few years. They paid 960k for it plus the conversion, for which I cannot quickly find the budget. The one that has K in palpitations was in Southwark by a hospital and cost £360k plus £2m spent on it. They tried to sell for £6.5m but the last I saw it was priced at £3.6m. F

Unless it is a buttress as well ?. In which case I guess you say it is a decorative element around a structural element.

There are others, especially some who are Team Experts rather than the presenter. The two on "Your House Made Perfect" were brilliant. We did this to death before (Ooops. It came up with the picture of Julia Kendall climbing the side of a building in heels demonstrating her "30 years of power-tool techniques" ... beats Kevin and a model made of 28 Ryvita and Processed Cheese, anyhoo.)

Data point on Sprinkler systems. I spoke to a good local company about a system for a potential 8 bed HMO in a double fronted detached house - roughly 4 x 14ft square rooms on the first 2 floors, and 2 more in the attics. Estimate came in as 5-10k ballpark (after 15 minute phone conversation) 3-4 years ago, but I would expect the price of these to be on a declining curve still. F

Some more on this. I had a phone call this morning with a mate who lives a mile away. It seems that the flats were probably the social housing element of a large long term development, which was done between about 20 years ago and ten years ago - with the flats being the later elements. So no excuse of "old building". (Medium rise timber frame was researched in the 1990s and famously tested at full scale in the Airship Hanger at Cardington. They then did a further project about Restoring Timber Frame After Fire on the testbed which they had just burnt down. Nothing like recycling.) According to him, there is basically little or nothing left. I expect it to be about detailing and precautions to predict from the consequences of poor detailing. I would hope the consequences will be: - Sprinklers in medium rise TF flats (assuming in high rise because of Grenfell). Medium rise TF is 4-8 stories. - More detailed mandatory supervision in multi-home blocks. - Perhaps sprinklers in TF above x storeys, where x may be 3 or 4. Ferdinand

Yep. Kevin McCloud is a decorator ! His first 5 books were: Kevin McCloud's Decorating Book, was published in 1990. The Techniques of Decorating Kevin McCloud's Lighting Book were published in 1995, The Complete Decorator in 1996, and Choosing Colours in 2003. (Not to underestimate the chap, and I would not go quite so far as "menace".) F

Now this is getting controversial. St Paul's Cathedral has umpteen pilasters. A sign of good taste. Wash your mouth out in a whb (wash-handbasin), young man .

Thanks, all. One of these will do it I think. F

It gives you you access to previous scans of their database by a date slider. eg http://home.bt.com/tech-gadgets/internet/travel-back-in-time-with-google-street-view-11363960715817

Maintain an occasional photographic record with dates ... just in case. And perhaps check on the Google Streetview timetravel feature, just in case it tells you anything more. Should give you occasional snapshots back to 2007. Ferdinand

Are there hole saws of an appreciate size that attach to your digger? Bit of a stretch but you never know....

One for those strong magnets?

I need a double ended bath to be dimensions of 1700 or 1800 by 700 wide, enclosed to floor level and which will fit into a corner. The 700mm width might stetch to 725, but that is all. Can anyone recommend something that has proven durable and comfortable? I am currently leaning towards some of these from ideal-standard, who have supplied a nice loo. https://www.ideal-standard.co.uk/products/d-pl/double-ended.html?filters[collection]=&filters[productgroup]=73832&filters[finish]=&filters[type]=73834&filters[benefits]=&cHash=22df9f0ea5ee5cc1db8966ab771544f3 Cheers Ferdinand

I have one of those, but the ex-cat is still pushing up bamboo. This is the best I have, but it is not really the correct roof. And the lady does not understand the resilience of the cat.

>cat slide We seriously need a video of a cat sliding down a cat-slide roof. Without it, BH is incmplete.

Oh not to have a large estate car ?.

Usually screws are strong in grip along the shaft ,whilst nails are strong across the shaft. Consider how thinner the core shaft of a screw is compared to how thick it looks - much of the cross section has been taken away for the thread. F

I believe there is a recipe for this gatepost in Macbeth... (Personally I would spend the £20 on the new cement for an erection this important. You would not want it to be cut off in its prime if hit by a Mrs Bobbit in a car.)

For CSH, I believe those conditions should fall away under ‘not enforcible’ or similar, as CSH is no longer a thing which can be imposed. You could ignore them for now and go some variety of “Dead horse, darling” to the planners if they go “Oi”, or get the condition removed first. Imo not one to worry about, certainly not this early on. They are more likely just to ask you to think about improving it because it is better for you. I would mention it to Duty planning when you have informal soundings after The LDC has been provided. https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Code_for_Sustainable_Homes You may get a new sort of green doodah attached to any new permission, but current basic building regs are better than CSH 3 anyway. For the caravan, others have replied. We can come up with ideas that would improve the build quality. I am am not sure whether you will have to deal with newer building regs. I suspect you do. Ferdinand

IMO generally expect the SELLER to provide you with an LDC to prove that THEIR assertion is true. He should have one in his file already. If he cannot get it you will need to start again, which could kill it or cost 2k to 25k depending on how much you have to do and who you get to do it. For all you know it will be entirely poleaxed by a more recent policy. (As I hinted above if you would be happy with the existing PP as Plan B that would mitigate this risk. Or your Planning Pro may tell you it is a 90% chance that you will get it. The focus needs to be on the Risk and Money associated with each decision or factor.) You do not provide the MOT certificate when you buy a car from a seller. If he wants you to do the LDC then fairness says you should get some consideration for spending your money to help him develop his building site, such as a lock in agreement. Your instinct may be to think that you have the smell of an opportunity and throw caution to the winds in pursuit of the elusive lesser spotted building plot. If you are not confident with that, then get yourself an objective and fair minded good-evaluator acquaintance with no skin in the game you meet for a pie and a pint or similar every so often, and give that person the explicit role to ask awkward questions and tell you when they think you are leading yourself by the nose. I know that you are dealing with humans here and may have an opportunity not known to others (Or has he tried before?), but you need arsecover in the thinking and the negotiations, and not to establish yourself as a soft touch. It is always difficult to judge. You have to strike the balance that is fair and works in the circs, and it is very difficult to make the call where that is. At my former house I lost a right to implement a large extension because I had not got an LDC for an entrance and gravel driveway to prove start of development. I was pulling a slight fast one in trying to preempt a neighbouring extension up to my boundary by using an existing informal entrance and driveway with no drop kerb and a 10 year old PP, and I was young, but it had been in use for 10+ years, and if I had paid attention when I was 25 and had an LDC I would have won and stopped the extension in its tracks. I could still extend with something 800mm-1m from the boundary, but It was a lesson in when the tick boxes matter. If your neighbour has not got the tick boxes it could cost him the full value of his plot .. maybe 150k. It is not your job to be his Planning Stalking Horse without having a damned good reason and knowing exactly what you are taking on and who will benefit. But it is All judgement calls, and I could be being far too cautious. Ferdinand

LOL. Travelodge for Bats. Looks really great. If it was In the Lake District that should be pink to fit the vernacular.