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Good evening everyone, My name is Ioana and I am currently studying my master's degree in Real Estate Finance and Investment at UWE Bristol. I am working on my dissetation with the title “Is BREEAM the Key to a Sustainable Future? A Study Assessing Its Influence on Commercial Property Value” which analyzes if a commercial building gains benefits in terms of sale price, rental value, speed of transaction, ability to secure finance and corporate image and prestige value, by obtaining a BREEAM Certificate. In order to gain an in-depth analysis, I created a questionnaire for potential participants who have knowledge in terms of BREEAM and commercial real estate. The responses would be anonymous and further used for research purposes only. If you would be able to complete this questionnaire it would be much appreciated and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. I will attach the link below and then you can decide if it is something that you would be interested in completing. Thank you so much for your time! https://uwe.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2nOwigO3YHaKrem

Hi all, Been lurking a while soaking up the wisdom, while our plans percolate and mature. Already been an enducation! Just in the process ofr finalising the techincal specs for a new 5 bed house in Hampshire in the Meon Valley area. Some details of what we will be attmepting to lure others into conversation on same topics and steal their knowlesge...:-) Pile and beam foundation: After much to and fro between geotechnical engineer, architect and structural engineer on foundation type...I had wanted to do an unsulated/pasive slab which builder and I could have laid ourselves. Vetoed Hempcrete build as far as we can.Trying to build as sustainably as possible, interested what we can do with the material and helps to avoid competition for bricks...only competiing interests are horses for bedding...... Trying to get as energy efficient without committing to passive house as too constraining on design and I do like open windows at times. Still figuring out energy mix: Solar PV and thermal definitely, UFH, then debating on whether an ASHP or GSHP is going to pay back if the house is highly insulated. But how else do I cover the heating gap Recoup waste heat with MVHR. We are off-grid for gas otherwise I did like the look of the integrated Viessmann fuel cell/gas boiler. As in Southdown National park, stricty nitrogen requirements, so foul drainage going through septic tank and reed beds and pond to drainage field. Off mains drains. To manage rain water drainage on the plot I thought I might as well try my hand at creating a natural swimming pool. They are nice to look at and it will be an adventure! Anyway that is us for now! Hope to start the build in January for a couple of years. We live on the site in a bungalow which we have to demolish afterwards, so we can take our time and enjoy hte journey. Cheers Paul

Hi - I am a first time self-builder - now the owner of a small garden plot in an edge of village location. We have detailed planning permission for a 3 bed house, designed on "Passivhaus principles". Aiming to start on site early next year (2020)

This one is just for general interest; I came across it today on the webstie for Shaftesbury Town Council, but it appears to apply to North Dorset generally. Development Pressure in North Dorset Due to circumstances beyond the control of the Local Planning Authority, North Dorset District Council no longer has the ‘five-year housing land supply’ that is essential in controlling planning applications that aren’t in line with its adopted local plan.The five-year land supply is an assessment of the number of homes that are realistically likely to be built over the next five years. The total includes any shortfall from earlier years as well as a buffer supply should housing not be delivered as planned. The district council has slipped to a housing land supply of 3.42 years’. This is a result of: A very low rate of housing development over the last year - Only 140 houses have been completed against the annual target of 285. Slower progress than anticipated on developments allocated in the local plan – such as the major development site south of Gillingham. Because of the reduced supply, the district council will have to apply the national ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’ which will allow more development to take place. This will be applied to all planning applications immediately.Cllr David Walsh, Portfolio holder for planning, said:“This is very frustrating for the council. 10 years of hard work has gone into putting a local plan together which sets out how local residents want the area to be developed. It has been examined and approved by the Secretary of State’s Inspector.“Through this local plan we have allocated land for development and have given planning permissions to developers, but the market is neglecting to bring forward housing. This could mean we may be required to allow development in locations not identified in our current plan, which are neither desirable nor appropriate. “The current system is penalising Local Planning Authorities for the lack of development in their areas, even though they are not actually able to influence the delivery of such development.“Having met and spoken with Planning Ministers and the Town and Country Planning Association, I continue to push for Local Authorities to be given the tools with which to bring forward development on sites with permissions granted. I had hoped that these would come through the Housing White Paper.“We will continue to work with the Gillingham developers to help progress the site so that it can boost our supply in the future.”The district council, alongside West Dorset District Council and Weymouth & Portland Borough Council, has developed a programme of ‘Accelerating Home Building’ work. This will include working with housing associations, private sector developers and land owners to promote housing development and bring sites forward at a faster pace.