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I own the land with a value of £100k with no outstanding borrowing on it, Can I get a self build mortgage after gaining full planning permission so that the money can be used to fund the build warrant aswell as the build?

I was about to reply on another thread, and realised I was hijacking it, so here is a new thread. We are putting 2 log burners into our highland conversion, and I consider myself eco considerate (got a badge for it). I'd be interested to hear if you disagree with any or all of these. FOR 1. It is very rural so it is not going to annoy or harm anyone nearby. 2. For the first 2 years there will be demolition timber, which would otherwise go where? A big bonfire probably. 3. They will provide quick heat whenever UFH is going to struggle, and allow us to keep the background heat down. A surprise change in the weather is readily dealt with. 4. Lots of surplus wood in the commercial forests around. Not the best and will require work, but otherwise it will probably be piled and burnt at some stage. 5. Aesthetically it is very attractive 6. We have an area of woods....rather lovely primitive, soggy woodland, but some can be harvested. I also favour planting some timber for pollarding. 7. The burners we are intending (Spanish) are 82% efficient. This is realistic as we have one already and it burns 30 big logs to every tiny ashpan. It has air inlets at the back to burn the fumes and you can see this working. This compares with.....what? isn't electricity 25% efficient by the time it reaches us? 8. In a well-insulated house it won't be a very big burner, or used much. 9. Other local houses have them too, and it doesn't seem to be causing any issues. 10.The flues create air flow and ventilation by stack effect, even when 'closed'. 11. There are are umpteen mills around, all with waste to get rid of. They seem to sell it even though the price doesn't seem that great to me. Otherwise it goes where? 12. If selling, they would be expected by most people. 13. We don't have to use the fires. AGAINST 1. Burning is burning, and makes fumes. 2. The air is so incredibly pure around, and there is lichen on the trees that depends on clean air. 3, Perhaps the smoke will hang around and be a nuisance. 4. The flues create air flow and heat loss when not in use. 5. Capital cost. 6. Holes in the roof. 12 against 6 isn't the issue as the weightings could be different.

I've been approved (woohoo) for our ecology mortgage. I need to tell the solicitor how much to get for the first whack and wasnt sure exactly how much to take as I don't need the full amount available straight away. However wasnt sure how quick and easy the next drawdowns were if someone can clarify? Timings are a little up in the air currently as we have just paid first kit payment to get engineering going, then once that is turned around we will get on with tanners for foundation design and ordering before going back and forth for SER and the final approval on building warrant before I break ground. Any lessons learnt here or insight would be helpful. Are ecology happy to do like 10k one week and then 20k 2 weeks later without too much hassle? (It won't be that schedule butnits a good example) Or am just being tight and should take a bit more and swallow the interest?

Hi all, I'm currently in the process of finalising buying my plot of land which I will purchase outright with savings. UPDATE: I do have a fairly comprehensive budget together already for the total development costs and also basing on £1200/m^2 for a 200/m^2 house. So I have a pretty accurate understanding of what I will need. I've previously interfaced with Buildstore and went through with an advisor for pre-application advice. Kind of like an agreement in principle over the phone to say how much we can possibly get which seems fine. However I stopped the process at that time as I hadn't finalised a land purchase and didn't want to apply. However my question is - when would you do (or when did you do) the formal application and would you do it with a number of companies?. I would think I should wait until the land transaction is complete - but I see some post saying it can take 5-6 months?. Also can you do the application then get approved but not actually take the money straight away? you just remain approved until the point you require the money? In my timeline, I plan to complete transaction for land within the next 8 weeks, then from there start to progress the design with an architect / AD / Timber frame company. Then I will get everything in place and I would think break ground maybe next summer once I have fully planned the build. So any advice, pitfalls and pearls of wisdom greatly appreciated.

(Diversion of the day) This morning there was a piece on Farming Today about vanishing ponds and vanishing toads and a report from The Wildlife Trusts, and how if we did not do EXACTLY as told NOW there will be a world ending catastrophe next Tuesday etc... In my area we have dozens of balancing ponds as part of SUDS systems on new housing estates. On a 10 acre 120 house estate, they would give over about half an acre to such features, and half an acre to an acre to amenity land. I was wondering whether such ponds and the wildlife they host are counted, and whether they are actually of any benefit to eg our toads? Both our local County Wildlife trusts are not aware of any work that has been done, and had not considered these of being of interest to them. It seems to be a bit of a gap. I think that local authorities may well wash their hands of it all once built, rather than spend money monitoring, Does anybody know of any work that has been done? Ferdinand

I'll keep this short and sweet. Judge for yourself whether my anger is justified. In order to obtain planning permission, we had to have an ecology desk study , a phase one and two ecology survey. That study found that, within National Guidelines, great crested newts were in danger. Finding that out cost a couple of thousand. After planning permission was awarded we needed to implement the Action Plan under the terms set out in our permission. Cost? a further several thousand. I'm so angry, I can't bear to look it up. In the blizzard of local applications for planning permission - and by local I mean 400 meters - the following occurred; Applicant No 1 took our survey (published online - not by us, but the LPA, (Wyre Borough) and used it as their own. No permission was asked. In response to Applicant No 1' Wyre Borough's ecologist suggested that instead of the measures we had to take, No1 merely needed to put up a sign saying the equivalent of Seen a newt? Kiss it and put it in the grass Applicant No 2. No need for a survey Applicant No 2's second application, no need for a survey Applicant No 2's third application, no need for a survey Applicant No 3: - application for permission to build within spitting distance of a pond which I had to have surveyed - so I know for rock bottom certain contains newts (GCNs), was told to put up a sign saying Seen a newt? Kiss it and put it in the grass The system is sick. Ecology has not got its act together. National laws are disregarded. Applicants for Planning permission need to know that before applying for permission - in West Lancashire - Wyre Borough to be specific - you can tip a load of pig manure in a pond and then wait a bit before applying. In addition you can rip your neighbours off by using their survey instead of paying for your own. And finally, Wyre Borough Planning Department does not appear to check any of the advice given by its ecologists. Why would they? Anyone with an ecology degree can set up as an ecologist, and so be recognised as a competent person. Full documentation is available online, and if you wish to PM me, I will gladly supply every reference. I could add the Iinks in this post, but I do not wish to embarrass my neighbours. I do not feel anything like so coy when exposing Wyre Borough to the most severe critique of their practice. How is it that two ecologists can read the same guidelines and come to completely different conclusions? The cost for me several thousand quid. For others, zero. Shame on you Wyre Borough, shame on you.

I now understand why farmers dump pig manure into perfectly healthy ponds with before submitting a planning application. Doing that kills all the wildlife, and in doing so prevents this kind of thing happening. The following is a simple factual easy-to-read list of what happened, and a brief comment at the end. October 2015, full PP, with conditions attached ' ...get an EPS licence...' (European Protected Species Licence for Great Crested Newts) Meeting that month with the Ecologist to establish a timetable for Licence Application submission: Target November 2015 Several follow-up emails: Licence applied for in February 2016 Natural England write to me explain that there were 16 errors in the application Corrections submitted March 2016 Licence accepted by Natural England May 2016 Licence submitted to LPA May 2016 June 2016, the LPA has still not formally accepted the licence (but has done informally) 30 days of trapping will start in July And end in Mid August 2016 Costs? Initial survey £1300+, and the Licence Application £1800 (details here) On costs; roughly another £2000. The application system is cumbersome. Great Crested Newts are common. I will give full details in my blog soon. I'm not cross - just wiser and more understanding. I've used the enforced delay to improve plans and do a lot of preparatory work myself. If I can't take a joke, I shouldn't have applied, should I?

A: When it's a T emporary A mphibian F ence And here for your delectation is a set of photos to explain the idea a bit better; Starting from a Newt's eye view this is the trench that has to be dug all the way round your property. Our ecologist sensibly suggested we use our house as part of the TAF - thus reducing the amount of digging to be done and the mini digger came in handy too; Then the stakes have to be put in to support the plastic fencing Occasionally you need to do a little 90 degree turn in the fence.... fiddly and annoying, but fun in the rain So, not all TAFs are Welshmen.... or plumbers for that matter.