Ferdinand

Back in the 1980s we used to have the folding ironing board built in in a special drawer. The issue was it had to be kept out until dry.

That's quick - good job.

Look up the one across the road on your Council website, and take advice from their consultant. Name should be on the D&A doc if there is one, reports and the entrance schematic. Planning consultant, highways consultant, or both. You may even be able to reuse most of their work. And you should be home and dry before long. F

Are we still critiquing this cabinet? My only criticism is that of the colours of the rainbow, Violet is missing. Which means that some poor child is in the future going to be tricked into believing that Richard Of York Gave Battle In Hotpants. And repeat it at school.

That is unfair to the point of being libellous. Shall report you to the Admin. Oh, you are the admin... Doesn't @ProDave keep his downstairs bathroom in there? Different thread required.

A jammed PRV did for Three Mile Island ?.

I would go for "owner" rather than "freeholder". The latter has a slight "Freeman of the Land" feel about it, which is code for slightly nutty to many. I'd also send your Bats stuff to the Bats Conservation Trust, and ask them to weigh in. That may inluence the Council to emphasize nature and trees more. (Love the "pippip". Expecting "old fruit" to be added in a Wooster voice.) F

No they can't just do it. There's a fairly rigorous legal process, probably in the 1947 (ish) Planning Act, plus a lot of case law since. And subject to the requirements of Judicial Review. I think eg the property acquisition budget for HS2 Phase 1 is somewhere north of 3 billion.

There have been plenty of similar developments before, involving densification of estates, and oppositions thereto. Elephant and Castle is perhaps one. And Earls Court has been another. In this case the residents have voted in favour of redevelopment, and aiui you are one of the "council house purchasees" who are presumably in a minority overall. My practical suggestions are: 1 - Network with others in a similar position, if you know some. Perhaps you could work jointly for legal advice etc. One of the complications is that you are a minority group, and the stance you take. 2 - Finding them may be a problem. You may have to break cover for that. I doubt whether the Council will tell you due to DP laws. Something more trad like a postcard in the newsagent with a mobile or asking a communist activist may work better. 3 - Perhaps get your local news blog to cover the issue and your viewpoint. I don't mean Londonist, I mean something more like the Kingston version of https://brixtonblog.com/ . 4 - Check your paperwork for any conditions or rights for the Council related to future repurchase rights. 5 - You need to watch being buried under, or framed by, political activists. Previous politics around such regenerations have been vicious, and to a degree framed from outside. Though that is perhaps countered by the resident consent. I get the impression that these projects are now a little less vigorous politically. May be wrong, though. 6 - Remember that the London market is generally down now and for a couple of years, probably, so consider that when thinking about dates of valuations and future purchases. 7 - Think about what you actually want to achieve - but you are already. I'm generally of the view that developers may not make a huge windfall from this - the Council will use everything they can to bleed them white. Not directly pertinent, however. Suspect that at whatever point you get something you think is a nearly reasonably good offer, it may be wise to take it rather than taking many years of heartache. (Update: It's fun watching somebody write a letter online ? ). F

EU has withdrawn .eu domain from anybody not living in the EU. Yes @newhome I think it is there in its entirety. And to think he put it on Mayfly in case Buildhub vanished like Ebuild ?.

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It will be removed if the LL wants it removed, I would think. F

Portable crane by the sound of it.

A further option is a secondhand site office or portable building, which come with insulation and power already installed. I once saw a small one 8'x20' from just down the road on Ebay that had been a dance practice studio for someone's teenager, and went for £600 complete with wooden practise dancefloor and disco ball. F

Some people just don't like hedges, or these may be - as has been hinted - taking their newly clarified (couple of years ago) responsibility to keep their dog in very seriously. (Are you sure it wasn't put up by the Council?) The definition of "Ground Level next to a building" from the General Permitted Development Order is this: " 2 - Interpretation .. 2) Unless the context otherwise requires, any reference in this Order to the height of a building or of plant or machinery is to be construed as a reference to its height when measured from ground level; and for the purposes of this paragraph “ground level” means the level of the surface of the ground immediately adjacent to the building or plant or machinery in question or, where the level of the surface of the ground on which it is situated or is to be situated is not uniform, the level of the highest part of the surface of the ground adjacent to it." https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/596/made by analogy I think the 2m of permitted fence height will be taken from the highest level of natural ground next to the fence. Which either means the highest raised bed level, or the path level if the boundary is actually where the half-high wall is. As that difference in height is minimal, I don't think you will get far on that route, especially as the hedge is still taller than the fence. Whether the boundary is at the root of the hedge plants, or along the edge of their path, might be a bit more interesting. And for that you could perhaps check their or your landlord's deeds from the Land Registry to see if any boundary features are marked, or interpretation mentioned. There will historical stuff about what happened in the contract when the houses were build on what was presumably a field. I think it was correct above to remark that your LL just won't want the aggro. To the LL, that is unlikely to be enough to be more important than the neighbour relationship. Where does that leave it? The one good thing is that them having put a galumphing great fence there means that they can't easily get at the hedge to attack it any more. At least without a ladder. I honestly don't think you can gain anything from this, apart from a poisoned neighbour relationship and lots of conflict. Life's too short. If you already don't like them relax that now you can't even see them. I suggest keeping your side of the hedge carefully trimmed so it grows more bushy leaves by doing a shaping trim next spring to get light to the lower half, and keep trimming back a few inches inside the leaf surface just before the growing season and perhaps in August (watch for birds' nests) to help the leaf surface become more solid. And perhaps plant a climber or two to scramble through it, such as a traditional honeysuckle. I would also perhaps discuss this over at gardenlaw.co.uk if you want more, where they are more specialised on boundaries than we are. I am also Ferdinand over there. HTH Ferdinand

That's the rub. They may use that as a threat 'if you don't agree', but then your levers are that they will have costs and you do not know the outcome. IMO it pays to work with them, after you have established what you want and they are actually talking. But experience is not constant. Like a lot of other things, it can be a bot of a game of poker and 'who cares most', depending on all the circs. It could potentially be why you got a better deal on the plot than you might have otherwise. From accounts here, power distribution companies seem to be getting tougher in their attitude. Beyond that I do not know really - mine was back in 2012. (Aside: I do wonder if at some stage this will land as a Consumer Issue on Radio 4, as leasehold has - as it is a bit obscure and unpredictable at consumer level.) F

You need to get taken seriously. Talk to them about giving notice to move it off your land. Perhaps ask them on a query what the procedure would be, and how much notice you need to give. And ask for alternatives suggestions that they would propose to meet both your requirements. That should start it moving and get you noticed in their system. if you haven't. you also need to get to grips with Necessary Wayleaves and the rules around them.

Mine - working *with* the wayleave, was 12 months notice of intention to give notice, then 3 months notice for them to do it. But I had poles. Without the notice? No idea - but perhaps allow 1 to 2 years. Though mine was about 100m of our and back cable highish voltage routes that fed most of town, and they had to dig up about a mile of alternative routes half and half under farm tracks and the former A38 for the new route. F

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Thanks all.

Have to admit that I really object to paying for click and collect, so I normally get it via the showroom. When they are open.

Also options such as hit and miss to give wind permeability. (And it doesn't necessarily have to be a huge construction like @Onoff's - that is to keep him in.)

You need to consider whether it will count as a "Backlands" development (single property built behind the line of all the rest along the street), what the policy is on that, and how you will address it if so. F

Why don't they deliver? My local Ikea says it does deliver. What is it about your bit of Lancashire that has scared them off? Shoulda called it "Hampster Cottage".

You need to consider what happens re: refusal, Appeals and so on - if you do one you would probably need his continued advice. Also how you will handle the supply of drawings and models to other professionals.