flanagaj

There is no problem. The rules state 'within' and ancient woodland. My drainage field is 43m away from the woodland. I just misread and thought the rules meant that you could not have a drainage field within 50m of an ancient woodland. Another EA document, words the statement with better clarity.

I need to learn to read!! I have just given myself a great deal of stress and time completing the EA permit form. The Rules state Rule 18: make sure the discharge point is not in or near protected sites You cannot meet the general binding rules if the discharge will be in an ancient woodland or in or within 50 metres of any: special areas of conservation special protection areas Ramsar wetland sites biological sites of special scientific interest (SSSI) It states in an ancient woodland, not within 50 metres of an ancient woodland.

Can I ask what the associated charge is. ChatGpt is telling me it is the region of 2-3k for the permit?

We are unfortunately 42m downhill for an ancient woodland, GBR state it has to be 50m. Unfortunately, I cannot move the field so not sure what the alternative is.

So having decided that I should apply for a **** EA discharge permit, they have asked where is the nearest sewage connection point to the property and also want a reference. Southern Water use digdat and I purchased a utility search from them before I purchased the land. But as expected, there is no foul water services. From what I can see digdat only provide a search within a given vicinity of your search location and they don't provide a search for something that is probably 2 miles away. Southern Water won't provide the info, but say I can travel to their office in Worthing (2 hour drive) are the clowns for real? Anyone else know how I can obtain "National grid reference (NGR) for the nearest sewer system." Why don't they just allow me to put "> 30 metres, see attached digdat asset map." We haven't even started and I have had enough. At leas the build will be more in my control.

Thanks. I was unaware of this and thought it just tricked out as new effluent entered the tank.

Our tech architect has specified a single downpipe for the 17m long roof. I am just worried that over a 17m run it will be too low and the water will come off the roof and miss the guttering. I did search online for recommended fall, but my confidence in the internet was dashed when I read the below recommendation 🤣 " The ‘fall’ is the measurement by which the gutter drops to allow water to drain towards the outlet downpipes. Many plumbers guidelines recommend a ratio of around 1:500 (which is roughly 20mm for every 5m of guttering). But it does depend upon the pitch and size of the roof above your guttering. "

I wanted to ask whether there are any merits in having a collection chamber after the sewage treatment plant, which collects and then periodically pumps the contents into the drainage field pipes quickly so that the waste water in dispersed around all of the perforated pipe. Our initial plan was to simply allow the waste water from the STP to drain as and when it is required. I know some STP systems do exactly this and others Graf do not. The logic apparently, is that by pumping a large volume you will utilise all of the perforated pipe, where as, allowing it to trickle out, means that only the early section of the field is used. Obviously, as time moves on the early section of the field will probably slowly start to silt up and the water will naturally travel further into the field. So my reasoning on this one, is that overtime the net result is the same and the field would have the same lifespan. Logic correct or flawed?

Sorry to keep labouring the point on whether to go ASHP (heating / cooling mode) with UFH downstairs and fan coil units upstairs or to just go ASHP (heating only mode) with UFH downstairs and separate ducted AC system for heating / cooling bedrooms upstairs. We have a 4 bedroom 200m2 house and I just want to know what the extra cost is going to be. Heat loss calcs are coming in at < 3kw with -5c outside and 20c inside. Has anyone got any costings as to what the difference in cost is likely to be, between the two systems?

Our mortgage offer and Protek warranty both state that the house build has to be completed in two years. Our initial plan before we do anything else, is to get out of our rented accommodation and into a static caravan on site. But to do this, we need to install the drainage field and approved sewage treatment plant. This I assume will mean that we have commenced development and the 2 year clock will start ticking. We do have the funds sets aside to enable us to do this without us needing to draw on the funds. I am just not sure whether Protek need to be involved regarding the drainage field. We are basically trying to hold off from using the mortgage and starting the clock ticking until we are actually ready to really get going. Basically, once we are living on site, I don't care if we don't actually start building until next Spring. We also would prefer not to have a timescale to get completed, as we want to use our monthly wages and do a huge amount ourselves. If it takes 3 years and we have not had to borrow much money, then that is much better than completing in 2 years, but being mortgaged up to the eyeballs.

@Gus Potter I'm not sure of the relevance of your post. I am not interested in whether these providers make money or not. All of the policies will have been derived via an actuary and if they get the model wrong, well, that's just business. I am more interested which option is going to be the less painful. LABC inspection or a private one associated with Protek. The last thing I want, is to build according to building regs and then discover Protek have their own set of additional regs which I am unaware of. I assume that when you submit your drawings to Protek (I assume you do), they will tell you upfront whether they want things done differently to standard building regs?

Does that mean that there are a whole additional set of regulations on top of those mandated by building control?

Can anyone provide advice here. I've been told that even if I use LABC for sign off, I still have to pay the technical audit fee and have an independent inspector perform said audit. So I am now thinking why you'd go down that route. I am concerned about the private route as some of the stories on here seem to suggest they can be real sticklers. Appreciate any pointers. Before anyone tells me to not bother with the SW, unfortunately, it's a condition of our self build mortgage and they only have a handful of suppliers on their preferred list.

Brilliant. I am beginning to think that this is the best approach.

I am terrible for overthinking things and am really struggling with the best way to install the water connection to the static caravan and also to the yet to be started house. The image below shows what I have done so far. I have pulled a trench to the boundary and also then a trench to where the static caravan will go. The issue I have, is that the water board want to inspect the pipe before they will connect us. My original plan was to just put the pipe in for the TBS, but pull the trench slightly further into the plot so that I could have a tee feeding the TBS and a capped off length of pipe. Once the trench was filled and we had water, I could then pull the trench for the static caravan when I need to and the pull the trench to the house. These would obviously be done at different times, as the site has not been cleared and cannot be started until we have our conditions discharged. The LPA have confirmed that we can put the water in for the static as this does not constitute development. I don't like doing jobs twice and burying a pipe, only to dig it up later and connect to it seems a pain. I also don't like having joints underground, but given I need to have water to a static and a temporary standpipe, I am not sure how I can avoid it. It would be fine if the water company didn't want to inspect the TBS before connection as I could simply leave a coil of pipe above ground, but they want the pipe buried. I don't understand why they simply don't just install a double check valve at the meter and then any risk to contamination is handled. The circle on the roof is the plant room and where I will feed the mains supply to. Note. The driveway entrance shown is a new driveway and the shown patio ... does not exist. It's currently a wasteland.

Ok. Does the cable have to be run in a duct or is it simply buried like an armoured electrical cable?

So Openreach have come back and the contribution fee is only £567 + VAT, but along with the offer is a contract that is 35 pages long. Now, I am not sure whether I am jumping ahead of myself here and we will need to wait until the house is actually constructed before I can get fibre installed. I assume that unlike electricity or water, there is no concept of a temporary connection for fibre and as a result it is too early to get Openreach involved?

Who can work out whether glazing satisfies Part O?

Do you mean a full planning application?

Any guidance regarding the green roof that we want to get rid of. As I stated above, they have already signed off condition 8 (Biodiversity) and the case officer says that removal of the green roof will breach condition 8. But I made no mention of a green roof in that report and apart from it being shown on the plans, there was nothing in the conditions relating to having to have a green roof.

That's a very good question and I have no idea why the technical architect we are using submitted them under a NMA. Given condition 1 of our planning grant states "The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans: Location and Block Plan - Drawing No. 24-WLC-PA-01 Proposed Site Plan - Drawing No. 24-WLC-PA-10 Proposed Floor Plans - Drawing No. 24-WLC-P-20 Proposed South and East Elevations - Drawing No. 24-WLC-P-30 Proposed North and West Elevations - Drawing No. 24-WLC-P-31 REASON: For the avoidance of doubt and in the interests of proper planning" Would you suggest that we forget a NMA application and simply submit a variation of condition for the minor window style / size changes? If I can submit multiple variation of conditions under one application then that would save me having to pay one NMA fee and one variation of condition fee for the driveway change.

So our NMA to change the window style, remove green roof and reduce the width of the driveway has been refused. The reason given is as below. "I refer to your proposal received on 28 July 2025 concerning your proposed non-material amendments to the approved drawings. The Local Planning Authority has now considered the amendments but has resolved that they be NOT ACCEPTED as an amendment to the existing planning permission for the following reasons: The amendments by the insertion of the brick piers with narrower access would result in a breach of condition 15. The amendments to the green roof would have implications on the Biodiversity Enhancement and Mitigation Plan which would result in a breach of condition 8. The proposed windows could be considered acceptable as a post decision amendment; however, they would need to be submitted independently from the above elements that are not acceptable. If you wish to pursue the matter you are invited to submit a revised planning application for the proposal or alternatively you could apply to vary the relevant conditions under a variation of condition application, details of the application can be found at:" It's frustrating as it will mean I have to spend another £296 for just the NMA for the window change. But I am hoping that I might have a potential 'get out of jail card' in relation to the green roof. Condition 8 was discharged two weeks ago and the Biodiversity Enhancement and Mitigation Plan I submitted to discharge the condition had no reference to a green roof. The plans did show a green roof, so not sure whether I would be in breach of condition 1 . Do I raise it with the planning officer that condition 8 has been discharged and there was no mention of a green roof in the report?

You have maybe just become a life saver with that reply! I didn't even consider that option and will potentially mean we can move into our static onsite. I work remotely, so need data connectivity and 4G /5G is not existent on site.

Does anyone have any experience with Openreach, eg, getting a new connection to your property. I registered with the developer portal, uploaded a site plan .... I then received a call from an Indian call centre telling me that they have been unable to locate my site (no idea how) or the planning grant. I then simply received an email telling me that my application had been cancelled. Should I be going through a third party for getting my connection, or did others do exactly what I have been trying to do? When I login to the developer portal, the registration has vanished and there is absolutely no evidence that I ever submitted one.

I was under the impression that regardless of whether an objection is valid or not from a planning perspective, if you receive more than the planning authorities threshold, the application automatically goes to committee. We only had four objections and we had to go to committee. None of the objections had any merits in relation to planning policy. Thankfully, the planning officer had recommended to approve and our application took no time and was unanimously approved by the committee members. I would not wish committee on anyone. Some of the applications that were recommended for approval were refused by the committee, simply because objectors turned up and were like rabid dogs. Quite sad really.