Ferdinand

Thanks, all.

No, but actually the NT are moving on some of these accessibility questions. Every time I've been to my local property for the last year, I've been explaining how many of their potential visitors don't have driving licenses, and how 200k people live within walking distance, and 400k within cycling or scootering distance. Different story though.

Yes. However we are dealing with emotions, and things like evidence tend not to register. From the point of view of the Council, putting a big stonking barrier "blocking off" a path is a cheap intervention that looks like something is being done. So it counts as a virtue signal. People shut in their own homes for want of nowhere to go don't count in that set of scales compared to a shouty voter. Videos don't make a difference. This is from when I first tumbled to these issues in a way, and then I got radicalised when I couldn't wheel my mum to the Doctor a few years later. One of the lessons I've learnt is to talk from the viewpoint of a disabled pedestrian.

If a Council Department said "yes" to me, it would be gone before the other one had a chance to read the memo 🙂 .

Thanks for the responses. Please forgive me a substantive reply. It's a huge issue everywhere. My numbers say that there are perhaps 200k-400k of such illegal barriers across the country. Technically it's every field style on a public footpath, but that is mentioned normally as a rhetorical distraction ("do you want a wheelchair path up Striding Edge?", and the rubber hits the road far more around eg Rail Trails, or Greenways, which are advertised as "accessible", yet exclude some lawful users. These or similar also exist, weirdly, keeping disabled and elderly people out of large numbers of Green Flag parks, making the core published message "these are for everyone" into a self-satisfied lie. So "bend it out of the way" or "go round it" may work in one place, but it won't fix the core problem, which is legal, cultural and political. Guidelines are clear (LTN 1/20 and Inclusive Mobility) that the acceptable option is a 1.5m air gap, with 5-10m flat approaches and usually a sealed surface. It will require a national policy that these are not acceptable and they must all be removed. In the meantime all kinds of things are removed, but one by one won't clear them all out. Every Council I have ever asked do not even have records of what they have installed, plus many are installed freelance. Councils are quite happy to discriminate against disabled / elderly / parents etc, do nothing, and rely on bullying / intimidation rather than meet their most basic legal responsibilities, it being difficult to hold them to account under Equality Law or Highway Law, and normal complaints processes taking 10s of hours, perhaps 2 years and delivering nothing. I have a friend who is a wheelchair user, who cannot walk more than a few steps around the house, who was prevented from taking a particular route because of a chicane barrier on a gennel. The Council's legal department wrote her a letter saying they would require her to turn up at the barrier, and physically prove she was incapable of lifting her mobility aid over the top. The attitude is mind-boggling. Writing the letter would cost less than removing the barrier. Underlying causes are around false folk beliefs in the local populations that these achieve something wrt ASB, which often came originally from police advice when estates were built 20, 30 or 40 years ago. I have several here which are pre-1970. That's another issue - this is not aimed at you personally, of course. People who don't know decide that they will impose *their* opinions and *their* assumptions on the disabled or elderly person, without knowing what their needs are, and not respecting their rights or the law. It's the standard pavement parking excuse, or for blocking a pedestrian drop kerb. "It looks like a wheelchair would fit" or "I could walk through there or "I'll only be five minutes" or "but I need to" or "can't you wait" or "go in the road" or "I had to", without knowing about wheelchairs or tricycles or that a Guide Dog walks next to a blind person, not in front. Then when their precious car gets scratched because they parked it on the pavement because they are lazy, selfish or stupid, they resort to abuse or threats of violence. I had that when someone had blocked the entire pedestrian entrance at my local hospital (he forced all the wheelchair users to do 200m on the main drive carriageway with 6000 vehicles per day), rather than park in a free space 20m further away, The only bit missing was the threat of violence. Removing the bit at the side is addressing a symptom, not the problem, imo. The full width of a PROW is required to be useable, and if we leave it there with a bypass that panders to the idea that it can be tolerated. As an interim, maybe, but that is a sticky plaster. All of those are being done, and there are various places where some groups do things by agreement. The real heroes in this are Sustrans, who go by the book and are removing about 400 per annum from the National Cycling / Walking Network. I'll leave it there 🙃.Thanks for reading. F

@Daniel H . Yes, it could be something really simple, like sponsoring a Silver Band subset for an hour's concert on Well Dressing Festival Day, and everyone will have good memories of you. Just take care not to end up sponsoring it every year until 2057, which in that type of place just sort of happens without you noticing. I always enjoyed Bamford - I did much of my Duke of Edinburgh awarding in the area. And I love doing the cycle run around Ladybower and up to Slippery Stones and down the other side. It's somewhere I always thought I might like a holiday cottage for weekending and renting. I have a painting of Hope Valley I bought in the area, when I lunched one day at Hope Chest in the 1980s. It was run by a pair of retired lady teachers who reminded me of Hinge and Bracket. Have you cycled up, or sledged down, Bamford Clough yet?

I'm not sure how close an angle grinder will cut to the ground; I can't risk leaving a trip hazard. I'm quite drawn to the drill bit cutting wheel type thing, like this:

I know people who have occasionally removed particularly awkward ones for their regular walks / rides by just turning up in Hi Viz with a pipe cutter and a wheelbarrow, and there is activism on this all over - but plenty of Councils that still install them and Councillors that still defend them, despite the law. One of the excuses used for putting one on the Thames Path in Greenwich last year was "everybody does it so they must be legal". In and around my town I have something like 400 of these, some going back to 1970, everywhere. So ultimately it's about changing the culture of councils who spend money on these things. I'm hopeful since the new Gov will care about equality and law, and seem thoughtful around transport.

It's good to engage, but have an idea in your back pocket as to what you will do if someone turns rancid on you. Do not make anything that could be interpreted as a promise, as someone may 'remember' later. It may be helpful to do an occasional letter or 'newsletter' drop later on. When it is all over, do something to make the end of disruption. It could be bottles of wine to near neighbours or a Bar-B-Q or a Hog Roast. If you are in Hope could it be a wine tasting at the local Vineyard or in the local church hall or similar, or get Hope Silver Band to do a free concert at the next hinge point in the year such as Christmas or Easter or Well Dressing? If you have spent 6 figures on a house, it's probably worth £250 or £400 to mark properly moving in to the community. If it's in Foolow volunteer to be Deputy Duck Warden? (!) Ferdinand

What is the best way to cut off a pipe sticking out of a surface cleanly? (Actually these are is 30 or 50 year old 2" hollow railing sticking out of the asphalt). This is what I may want to cut - a pipe constructed anti-wheelchair barrier on a local footpath. These are illegal under several areas of law, but if I put in a complaint most Councils in the country would say "yeh, we'll get onto it", then take 6 months or 5 years to schedule in the 60 minutes of work it would take. So if a competent volunteer offered to do it, what would be the best tool - clearly it needs to be cut off within a few mm of the ground - perhaps 5mm max, based on the official specifications for maximum accessible height for a drop kerb before it becomes a hazard. What is the appropriate tool and can anybody point me to one? I'm thinking either a pipe cutter, or a battery powered multitool. Cheers Ferdinand

Can't resist their original video. Sorry. Stay out of the Jacuzzi. An Uzi is less deadly.

My more serious comments are: 1 - I have a Zarges Reachmaster, which is a touch more expensive than yours but probably more convenient. Recommended, and very portable. Mine has corner braces. 2 - I bought it from the Buildhub Marketplace. Try putting a request there. Someone may be all scaffold-towered out, or have finished the bits they need it for.

Fine. Just don't bend over backwards from your knees. Solved. Your other option is to get one that is inside a bouncy castle.

Sorry - I meant that was the time for the Appeal. The Plannign App took about 7 months from submission, but we used tricks such as doing a Unilateral Declaration not an S106, and were geared for speed.

The only one I've ever done - for a 100 unit housing estate - took under 8 weeks.

I did this back in 2013 with a very similar Wayleave agreement, and a lot more equipment. In our case it was dated to something like 1956, and we needed to give 12 months notice of our intention, and then would need to give 6 months notice for them to actually remove the equipment. There's a detailed thread here, with much advice, including a couple of success stories: My suggestion is, initially, just give notice strictly in accordance with the agreement, with no suggestions or promises or offers possible hostages to fortune. This will wake them up. It's a right you hold that you are simply enforcing; keep it simple and don't complicate. Except perhaps add a "please do contact us if you need to have a further conversation" - make anything about 'necessary wayleaves' or any 'but but buttery' something they bring up when they already under notice requiring removal. I think there is a distinction between supply to you and carrying supply across your land. The Wayleave will only apply to the supply across your land, but if the supply is also (or has been) to your plot in the form of an office building, you may be able to argue that they should replace it as it exists already, ('since 19xx'). They may get ruffled, but at that stage each thing you point out will tip them towards wanting a simple answer. I don't think you have actually told us how much kit the pole is actually carrying. One of your levers is that it is far easier for them to relocate it within your plot than have to find an alternative route, or pay to do loads of paperwork dealing with all your issues. You could eventually say something like "we will let you keep it down the edge of our plot if a) it goes underground and b) you agree to install our lecky supply as part of the agreement and c) a new wayleave agreement has terms acceptable to us and maybe even d) You cover our out of pocket expenses. In this case you need to consider future maintenance access, and also if an underground cable would compromise any part of your build.

I don't actually see why an Election would hold these up - they are decisions made by Inspectors following planning law. The only reason would be to cater for the call-in process by the Secretary of State, but in the UK Ministers stay in post throughout the Election then change over happens like the flick of a switch. But the report is in the Telegraph which for me is now a red flag requiring a reliable source, as I observe them including more entirely fictional pieces as reporting or news.

I'd advise choosing your words carefully, and talking more about sustainable drainage than GCNs. Perhaps have words in the landscape plan that give you a trim or an out if you turn out to need it, whilst mentioning it up front. And perhaps build it towards the end. I'm not sure what happens if GCNs appear when you still have 5 years to go on building the house, and someone notices.

A pedant writes: Are these numbers sound? My gas to electricity simple price per unit ratio is 25.49p/kWh to 6.44p/kWh, which is 3.95 not 4.8. Is this some strange average calculation involving standing charge? And do these use A2AHPs or just ASHPs? My impression is that even though UK ASHP pumps are soaring from a low base, there are a lot of people buying A2AHPs as they cost a fraction of the amount.

Thanks. Can you quote the model name or number for me?

My neighbour is about to have a large reduced, and the branches are overhanging my roof. Can anyone suggest a camera I could use to keep an eye on the operation. I trust the N and his arboriculturalist, but it's my roof .. and I want belt and braces just in case. Thanks

Insufficient drainage so it's going into the adjacent bit of driveway and washing away sub base?

I'd say all of it is key, and the toilet pan is a relatively minor issue - that can be replaced in half a day for a couple of hundred. Getting the basics right is more important, and things like handrails, grabrails and accessible taps (single leaver, easy to reach, low effort - whether singles or a mixer) are of benefit to everyone so should be included anyway. More fundamental things need more thought - what if you don't have room to back a wheelchair next to the loo, or to turn it round? Or if you have water pipes running where in future you may need to put a Hitler Trombone on the wall? I was limited with putting a floor flat shower in one bathroom because I would have had to dig up the underfloor heating in the slab to fit the drain - so it is still up a small step. That means no wheel-in shower. It always all about taking advice, taking time to think and scenario-plan now and in the future, then allowing for or making the choices you may need.

I think it depends on your requirement. (Update: wildcard - may be appropriate if you or the boss are basketball players.) If you are going to want one *somewhere* for the sake of having one, then I'd put it in the bathroom which is accessible - when we moved in to ours the shower was upstairs, and bathroom downstairs, so just as she needed a shower not a bath mum was required to walk upstairs - which was loopy and we re-did both bathrooms. Silly decision by the previous owners. If you know that you will need one (eg disabled or elderly person who needs it), fine - it's a nobrainer. The temporarily adaptive alternative is usually a high-rise seat, or a seat in frame that stand over you loo - this sort of thing. It's really horses for courses - if you have a continuing requirement, then I'd consider your whole shower / washing etc setup from that angle. If you have the luxury of an extra loo or shower room, then perhaps put on in the one you make your "adapted" shower room. I wrote a series of about 6 articles about some of this over on my blog : "Accessible Ablutions". You can generally navigate it, but may need to search a little: And also a forum thread: