flanagaj

Yes, there is a barb wired fence in the hedging. As to 'step each layer back' what do you mean exactly? I was planning on having a single vertical sleeper set into concrete, and then back fill from behind it. I also thought the French drain would have been better off on the filled side so that I backfill with gravel and a membrane to a) stop the sleepers being in direct contact with soil and rotting, and b) so any water that comes towards the wall soaks down through the gravel and along the French drain.

The paddock behind is 600mm above our level. At the moment it's a sloping bank. I was thinking it requires a french drain as well.

Thanks Russell. I was planning on using sleepers vertically set into concrete. I did think that Hazel is probably quite resilient at having it's roots chopped.

We have a boundary 'hedge', I use inverted commas, as it's basically Hazel that is 25 foot tall, and has never been coppiced by the owner. I need to put a retaining wall in as close as possible to the associated hard boundary, but am unsure what are the associated legal issues. Given the hedge has never been maintained, and when I spoke to the individual through the gap who owned it (needs cutting as it's touching the electricity line), she simply replied "I do, and you can contact the electricity company to come and cut it", bloody cheek of it. If I get the excavator in and start pulling a trench, and the 'hedge' happens to die, am I simply eligible for a fine?

This is our mistake, but for some reason our architect decided to move the location of our house 2m east from where the original house was planned. Having looked at the site plan further, we now want to move it back to where it was originally planned. Will this require a new planning application or could our architect submit something now or after the application has been decided. The location doesn't impact anyone, as the house will be 8m from the neighbours fence, instead of the proposed 10m.

This is exactly what I'm doing. We have these conditions for a Cherry tree, and I'm contemplating felling it, so as to avoid the hassle. It will help with sighting our drainage field, and I'll plant two new trees to replace it. I understand the protection for ancient oak trees or those with TPOs, otherwise, it's a lot of expense and inconvenience.

@nod you give me hope. When I read £3000/M2, I just baulk.

I have read a number of the posts on here regarding the above, but when I look at the Graf installation instructions, they stipulate that AAV are not suitable. So if AAV are not suitable, and I want to have internal soil pipes that terminate in the roof space, is the simplest solution to run an external SVP at the house end of the property, and then have AAV on the internal stack pipes?

Has anyone researched the above to get an idea just how much it is likely to increase the cost of construction compared with current regs?

It costs £150. I'd rather have a good understanding than continually using the LABC as an information resource.

As I intend on doing a lot of the trades myself (footings, first fix carpentry, plumbing ... ) I want to fully understand building regs, so that I don't make any mistakes. I am also keen to understand it, as I feel it will help a great deal when manging the trades I have to hire. I came across the web site https://www.buildingregs4plans.co.uk/ and before parting with my cash, I wanted to ask whether anyone has used this site for a self-build or whether there are better options. Ideally, I want a resource that covers each aspect of the build and the associated regs that need to be adhered to. Thanks

One of the reasons was to have the upper cladding line up with the ground floor brickwork. I'm not a fan of the cladding sitting proud of the brickwork. Trying to achieve the below look.

The seam seal roof is 58/M2 which I can fit myself after attending the Catnic course. Clay tiles at 66 tiles / M2 are comparable in cost, and far more labour intensive.

Our main aim with our upcoming self build is to keep the m2 costs down as much as possible, but that being said, I do like the idea of having the upper floor and roof as a SIP fabricated system. This would probably be installed within a week, and if you consider the jobs / time that would be covered in this time frame (brickie, first fix roof, roof insulation ...), and also the fact we are going for a seam sealed roof, which I think works well with a warm roof, it does seem like an attractive proposition. Has anyone done a conventional brick / block ground floor and then a SIP upper / roof, or even investigated this option, then I am keen if you could share your experience or findings.

Straight red line is the existing HV. That does not need to be changed, but they want 7k just to isolate the supply. I want the pole circled blue, moved 2m to the boundary so that it follows the path of the squiggly red line. I still feel they are trying to sting us. The pole is old, and doesn’t currently have any guide lines attached, and given the distance to be moved is small, I honestly think it doesn’t require a new cable.

So we had the attached response from the Wayleave department. SSE Wayleave Letter.pdf

So our new planning application was submitted Monday. Best case scenario, I'm thinking 6 months if approved, otherwise, 12 months before rejected (after appeal). I get 8 weeks holiday per year, and am thinking of jobs I can do in the meantime. Regardless of whether we get our PP approved or have to fall back to the original PP grant, a retaining wall needs to be put I along the boundary. Can this be done, or would this be considered as development, and I'd need associated conditions signed off first. I just don't want to waste any leave, if I can crack on and get some stuff done.

In the end I decided to do just that. Fingers crossed it will be ok.

I should have been a bit clearer. These reports were done as part of the original planning application, by the vendor who we purchased the land from.

So the LPA have stated that so long as the reports used in the previous planning application are not > 3 years old, then they are happy that we don't require new ones. The planning consultant at the architects has however just stated that we will be in breach of copyright if we do this. Just wondering whether this is the case, and is there anyway around it. The biodiversity report is from a company that I think has stopped trading. Their phone number is now a solicitors. Would it be risky to submit them?

Is that a telescopic boom on the concrete pump? I like the look of that, and I suspect it really helps in getting the right amount of concrete in each place. I will be short handed when I pour our footings, and I think something like this would really help me to get the concrete where it needs to be, and not be frantically shovelling vast quantities to the far corners. What was the charge for the pump?

Ridge height, dwelling location, and footprint are the same. I can obviously show the previous site plan with that of the current, to show that it's not changed. Given that the I am worried about being granted planning, it would be better if they could be submitted retrospectively. Saves wasting money on reports, if the LPA won't approve the scheme because of design.

So the biodiversity report quote has come in and it’s £2000. Seriously considering scrapping the revised planning application and simply seeing what revisions could be done to the original application. I’m ranting now, but it’s an utter xxxxx joke that the LPA can request these reports when you’ve already provided them for an approved application, and nothing has changed. Unless, the bats have introduced a new flight schedule in the area. Sigh.

I think I'll drop the planning department an email explaining that we are submitting a revised application and can the biodiversity report/tree reports be referenced from the original application. As the site is now fully cleared, there are no buildings, so not bat survey should be required and the trees are all gone, except one at the far end of the garden, which will not be affected by construction.

Thanks all. It's the Architect who is stating that we need to have these reports submitted with the application. Seems a perverse waste of money to get revised reports for a what is simple a different design to that of the original planning application, especially considering nothing is changing in that regard. So can I just push back and tell them to submit the application?