Ferdinand

Worth a read - an object lesson in grounding nebulous parts of Planning Law and how it develops under our traditions. It is to do with the application of Paragraph 55, which is designed to allow exceptionally high quality houses to be built in the countryside where otherwise it would not have been allowed. Para 55 used to be known as the Selwyn-Gummer clause because it was introduced by John Selwyn-Gummer back in 1997. Gummer was, and presumably is, a bit of a romantic with regard for gorgeousness in ritual, and for some things Victorian, a Tractarian with a reverence for Tradition and a habit of flounce, and didn’t want the tradition of the country house to die. I agree with him on this, and think that the small numbers of isolated houses built since justify it by their quality. Blair slightly limited the clause by making eco-friendliness more of a requirement. Under 100 houses have been permitted by this method in 20 years afaik, but nimbies sometimes hate the very idea. An Introduction to paragraph 55 is here. As I see it, the decision is about the interpretation of language used in one area of planning law to inform decisions in another area of planning law, which may soften the rigidity of Community Boundaries as applied in certain Planning decisions in similar-but-different exceptional developments eg of three houses. F

Hi. @Vijay As others have said, advice from a relevant solicitor or barrister would be the way if the numbers involved justify it. IANAL, however ... The seller obviously has no obligation to complete the road until 3 months after the last house is completed. Questions are 1 - whether you have a reasonable expectation that the road would continue to be suitable for purpose in letting you complete your house 2 - and if so whether the developer has forfeited any right to claim damages by his being fully aware what the road is going to be used for. if he builds it regardless then perhaps he should do it such that it cannot be damaged by construction traffic that he knows damned well will be using it. Whether this would fall under a ‘fit for purpose’ test or some aspect of Contract Law is beyond my ken. 3 - has he potentially estopped himself from claiming damages by an expectation / implied promise he may have given you that it would be possible for you to complete your house. Suspect it may not meet the test for an explicit promise. As for where for advice. I think I would frame a general question to Planning Aid in an email, and I might even send a short email to Martin Goodall of the eponymous Planning Law blog to ask if it is something he would be able to advise on professionally, and whether it is worthwhile Pursuing. @Vijay, One thing I think it is definitely worth doing is to write to the developer with proof of receipt informing him that by completing his road now it is possible that the construction traffic he knows you will need to drive over it has potential to cause damage, and perhaps that you will consider such damage to be his responsibility therefore. You may not use it, but it gives you a fact on the ground to refer back to just in case you get "but you never told me". Ferdinand

Is there a cost saving opportunity in not using K18 insulated pb? Can it be treated as 2 elements? Would perhaps be cheaper but more interesting to do.

Do you need to keep them as spares for your own gate? Or for a Network Rail Proof one?

Is there a moulded code or manufacturer or BS number marked on any of them?

You’re probably lucky they did not raid your stocks of the medicinal coke. Is not Kermit in a Blender the red one, if I recall my tasteless schoolyard jokes correctly? What is green and goes red at the touch of a button?

A longer term perspective than you thought you needed.

Just trying to work out how to get into GripIt economically without making Deborah Meaden .. I think it is she ... umpteen times richer than she is already. The individual pricing of fixings and tools is so astronomical that the only sensible way is to start with the whole Trade Bucket, which means a stock of 100 and all the Tools for the sake of three fixings for one curtain pole. Any other way means ultimately paying about three times as much. Still .. must be done and they will be used eventually.But this feels like a decision I have made loads of times in the also 12 months. Best price I have seen is £50 here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/GripIt-Assorted-Plasterboard-Fixings-100pce/dp/B01MPY34UI F

‘Ollocks ! At least you only quoted the polite bit... The quote is from a Desmond Bagley Thriller.

I think we all agree on Osmo. But can I gently question these £90 inc VAT per door prices. You could be approx 15% below that, and at least 25% for the slightly lower-quality Wickes version. Travis have their version of these doors at £78 at present including VAT and free delivery. https://www.travisperkins.co.uk/Hardwood-Oak-Suffolk-Internal-Door-1981mm-x-838mm-x-35mm/p/480461 And Todd Doors where mine came from have them at £81 inc VAT. The quality mightily impressed my joiner. They charge delivery but price matched the TP lower price at that stage (£72 last Nov/Dec iirc) and free carriage when evidenced. https://www.todd-doors.co.uk/cottage-oak-door You would perhaps get yesterday's price of £78.85 if you point out it is on the Google ads still this morning. Wickes are advertising their Geneva at 80 inc VAT, but trade is -10% and they had 15% off across the store (does not stack with trade) last weekend, which will return. https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Geneva-Internal-Cottage-5-Panel-Oak-Veneer-Door---1981-x-762mm/p/214699 Of those three it may be possible to assess the TP door at a local branch in Preston. Todd are a southern supplier with showrooms in that area. Based on that the doors plus hinges, handles, and latch, should be around £90 all in. Although paying slightly more to support a local business may be a good decision. Unless there is something I do not know. Ferdinand

Is a Mexicano the same as a Geneva or a Cottage Oak? Ie simulated 5 vertical planks with a frame? I cannot find a Mexicano on the Howdens or Benchmarx websites. I am sure it is but wanted to be sure. Cheers. F

Where are you buying from, and which model? The collective be might be able to save you some more. F

Very much worth it If you have any medical issues. Osmo seems to be vicious stuff wrt asthma etc. Gave my handyman a horrible migraine too, even though he is generally healthy to fumes etc. And we were quite well ventilated.

Might have rain and flood issues. ”If there is any water in the hole, remove it first”. No good in Manchester without a wet and dry hoover, then.

Is potassium nitrate better than the now banned sodium chlorate used to be, used the same traditional way as suggezted by Jeremy? If it comes down to chainsaws I would get a cheap one in rather than risk the big one. F

Notes that Airobe is an anagram of “I Bare, O !”.

You need *shoulders and biceps* to be a real plasterererer...

Good to have you joining. You are two thirds of the ghost of David Frost, and I claim my £5 .

Yep. pretty much. I live in a chalet bungalow conversion done around the same time or a little later (2007 I think for PP) and have some similar issues, although some of ours (eg roof) seem to be done to a somewhat better standard than then Regs but nothing like BH ‘best practice’. It would be a significant project to redo it all, and would be difficult to justify. Tis why we often recommend to spend money on the 'fabric first' and keep the posh kitchen and the dog-spa for later, if the budget is tight. I keep coming across potential aspiring rental purchases where the cosmetics have been done but not the fabric, and it would be necessary to undo then redo to make it acceptable in the long term. Ferdinand

An iPad Up?

To me that is probably inspired by Victorian Tin Tabernacles.

it is not quite in place of. But you do not need the tiles or similar behind the area where the panels go. So you would have your waterproof Edpm membrane, with panels over, but tiles round the edge only. Here is J’s blog. It is worthwhile reading from end to end. http://www.mayfly.eu/ F

If you dig around eg on @JSHarris‘s blog Jeremy costed his in-roof solar panel system. I think if you go for solar tiles the efficiency roughly halves. Jeremy's is in a conservation area. The cost efficient in roof solar are roof membranes plus panels and minus the cost of tiles which are not then needed. F

The regulations and costs for solar are likely to be an issue at 10kWp, not 4. I have 9.98 and they just included all the extra admin in the price that did not feel too expensive. Cost for black panels and backgrounds with Solaredge and as 3 separate arrays some easy some hard was about £11.75k in Jan 2016 all in. Play the game right with saving on the tiles for a new roof and you should save a good chunk off that. I think you are within range, so I will PM the details of my supplier. It feels to me that you probably want a distributed solution for water heating, and to transfer the energy around via electricity or gas rather than hot water, certainly to the annexe. Several Distributed Sunamps? A monopitch on the annexe angled to catch the sun might give you a full 10kWp solar install in that one place. I make 800 sqft plus a roof pitch big enough for about 40 pv panels, which is 10kWp as near as dammit. If it is single storey or even a ground style array on a flat roof that will also hugely simplify any maintenance should you need it. F

Edited .. not sure I was right.