Ferdinand

Very attractive. I would third consider provisioning for a future extension. F

St Peter to @Onoff - So, what did you do with you life? Reply: This. (Presents iPad containing 367 3d models of planned projects)

How thin did Jeremy get his walk-in wardrobe wall?

There is a parameter to set. For blogs you can post your draft to 2031, and edit it there. This was what I forgot here - posted to 2021 and the calendar caught up. Since I have a scooter ('mod') I was able to tidy it up.

Ooops. This shouldn't have published itself yet. Glitch in the time-indexed draft post filing system. But - what's done is done.

I have been trying to think up how I would like to see law around construction improved for, or after, 2021, whilst wondering what I would put in a start-of-year letter I might write to my MP. This is my little list. For the sake of keeping it focused, and making the points high-quality, I have limited myself to 5 ideas plus a bolt from the blue, and also to English Planning / Building Law - which is the one I know best. The Law has diverged is some measure since devolution, although all follow similar principles, and in Scotland has always differences - so I am interested to hear what others think. It is not especially around self-build, and there are a couple of hobby horses here - of which I am sure we all have a stable. 1 - Place *all* Building Regulations (BR) Documents in the public domain, from both private and Council Building Inspections 2 - Make BR Inspections on Housing Estates 100%, not a statistical sample 3 - Encourage gradual growth in small villages and rural communities 4 - Consider compulsory fire sprinkler systems in all residential premises 5 - Tighten up the John Gummer clause - Paragraph 79 If I were to add a speculative Blue Sky idea that I have not considered deeply, it would be to prevent Local Authorities running any Housing at all, as there is too much of a conflict of interest, and too many opportunities for corruption. Make it a properly distanced, permanent reform eg via Housing Associations rather than intermediate creatures-of-the-Council such as ALMOs (Arms Length Management Organisations).

Some of them - yes. There is quite a market for eg 3 bed 3 bath professional rentals and similar. I have a now current T who asked me to find a house for them as they needed 3 double bedrooms due to a blended family etc. If you reflect, that rules out a large majority of even big 1930s 3 bed semis as they are always 2 decent doubles and a say 7x11 single. I said to them to find a house at a suitable price and I would buy it to rent to them, and they could buy it later when they could afford. It took them 2 years to find one that was suitable. F

A good test for a comfortable bedroom is to check that there is space for a double bed, desk + desk chair, small chest of drawers (eg in bedside table), and wardrobe. They prefer an easy chair as well. That is what my lettings' agent requires for each room in a student or professional HMO, before they will take it on.

Having bought some things from them, I would not call the RIBA "Gentlemen". ?

Normally it gets too wide at the bottom. ? (Runs and hides). An alternative is deliberately to go for a roof slope of 25 to 30 degrees, rather than 40-50. As that is a different aesthetic, and will make the height lower. Not soo good if you have rooms in the roof.

The Govt introduced various changes to make it easier to change the use of certain buildings eg from Warehouse Storage to Retail. This may apply to some residential conversions, which may or may not include yours. Various charities took legal action to try and stop it. They lost. So far. If they do not take it to the Appeal Court. I think your further comments have ruled out the relevance, but it may be worth asking an adviser if you have one.

I gather he does have a BA in Architecture (Oxford Brookes), whatever that is, but did not do his "Part 3s". And an MA in Architecture from the RCA - also whatever that is. I honestly don't know which bits that means he missed out on. It may be he has missed out on practical experience, or on the opportunity to give the pompous people at the RIBA oodlees of £££. Let me do your reply: "BA, humbug". ?

The orientation question is the heffelump in the hosta. From a Luxton angle, I'd say that your points where water plumbing is required could all be much closer together. That's a hell of a lot of pipe run, and you risk gurgling noises. I think some added drama would be an improvement.

I thought I had on Monday night. But it seems I only unhid the topic, not the post as well. Apols.

You have to watch this - they are very hot on this, especially in London. They can catch you for Council Tax with far less than Dom Cummings did. But there is an exemption for "occupied by dependent family". But check very carefully. If it is capable of such occupation, you can end up with Council Tax even when empty.

Can you lend him the digger for 15 minutes?

Yep - that's good.

The thing about pro-attenuation ponds is that they have controlled outlets to flatten the water drainage 'lump', so to speak. Usually means electronic control. Otherwise they would be a big soakaway with an overflow. Do you have somewhere to overflow to? (I think your flow sequence is overcomplicating it, unless you want all those garden features) I think in your case I would suggest something like one of those waterholes where lungfish live when they dry out. Make it big enough (ie perhaps embankment made from the diggings) to be a pond deep enough to absorb a sufficient mass of water to cover peak events to your chosen frequency or time period, which will go down to be a bog garden during dry spells. But have a deeper bit at the bottom with a liner to provide a swimming pool for the newts that lasts longer as a pool. Then have an overflow over the top for *real* super events, and have a pipe through the bottom of the bank with a plug (or a portapump) so that you can part or fully empty it through the overflow if another flood event is coming when it is full.. That will let you smooth out flood surges, hopefully normally by themselves. You need to size it. For my housing estate site it was about 425 sqm and 600mm deep per Ha of site area if that helps ?. Try working with numbers for a peak rainfall of 2 hours over your house / hardstanding or garden area (both lots have to go somewhere), analagous to Regs for soakaway volume related to your roof area. Then guestimate from there on the generous side. All you need is a .. er .. digger. In spring and autumn you will be able to film a Lancashire version of the Hippopotamus Song.

Check to see if your Change of Use falls under Permitted Development under the recent changes, where I think the Govt has now won its legal action. Then the problem may basically go away. https://www.weightmans.com/insights/planning-regulations-for-controversial-pd-rights-and-use-class-e-survive-judicial-review-challenge/

How does a "Grand Total Excluding Tax" include "Import tax"? It will be interesting to see what happens when the EU adopts the anti-fraud changes that have just been implemented here, in July. And to repeat a question above - where's the VAT? I think it is what I heard a business rep say on the radio the other day - it will take some time to bed down. For self-builders, I think one channel I expect to develop is from EU via Ebay.

Anyone will be able to match a named F&B colour.

Appeals can be quick. When we had a political no in April for ours; we turned the appeal round in a fortnight, and had the Yes in a further 8 weeks,

Sarah Beeny wasn't ! It may be a more convenient way of getting what you want than any alternative. You just need to make sure you don't put them in a position to just name their price.

I take it that the cat does not like peppers.

Let me throw in a few plan ideas, having asked the orientation question. - I like that your bedrooms are all doubles and all different. - I wonder about that machine room out in a far corner. That will be a long hot water run to, for example, your kitchen. Ditto some heating. I might suggest a cupboard in the current pantry back to back with the all. - As discussed, you may have a red herring or two in the downstairs loos. I wonder about making the bed 3 loo-shower into the visitor one by moving the door. Maybe even making it a bed 3 / hall Jack and Jill. IMO that is only time a jack and Jill is really acceptable. - Biggest suggestion. I think that the dining and living are the wrong way round. The end section has better 2 aspect (3 if you adjust the study) light, and you will spend more time in the living area during the day. Putting the dining by the front door gives more scope for narrowing the gable either side should you need. Personally I would be more radical and try to get the kitchen with a S and an E aspect - mine faces N with bigger windows than this and it is still too dark. And that is in the English Midlands, which I think gets more light in general than Reiver Country. F