Advice needed re: problem with Regularisation (England)

[Alex L]

Hi,

 

I wondered I'd anybody might have experience or advice on an issue I'm having.

I recently bought a house off of relatives and they had removed one of the two first floor chimney breasts. The remaining stack was sitting on timber in the attic and was done something like 30 years ago. Before we started doing the house up, I wanted to get it secured and all above board with building control. I got a SE to do designs, and they recommended gallows brackets. The council confirmed they were allowed under some conditions and I was advised I could start the work whilst waiting for them to process my regularisation application.

The work was done and looking at it I'm happy and it's clearly very secure. The council then came back and said they were worried about whether the mortar would hold the weight and asked for confirmation that the wall was in good condition (which the SE stipulated must be the case to the builder). The builder confirmed this was the case but the council wanted a statement from the SE. I had to pay an extra £150 for the SE to inspect the work done and they then confirmed in a statement that the wall was in good enough condition.

The council then came back again and said that they want a pull out test conducted - something I'd never heard of before. I called a company today about this who have quoted £575.

 

So I'm feeling a bit peeved that the council had me spend the £150 when they didnt accept what the SE said anyway. The £575 just feels like a disproportionate cost, when the work is clearly fine (and is more secure than it has been for the past 30 years!), and I really don't have the money for it right now. I've asked them why they haven't accepted the SEs designs and confirmation of the good condition, and I'm waiting for the response.

 

Is there anything I can do to challenge this request? Or is this reasonable and just something I have to get on with? Has anybody else had any similar experiences?

 

Any advice would be much appreciated! Thanks.

 

 

[Mr Punter]

If you are not selling you could do nothing.  I have not heard of a pull-out test for gallows brackets.  If the SE says the design is OK then that should be the end of it.

[joe90]

I had to challenge a BI once who tried to say my structural engineer design needed altering, I refused and said he was more qualified than the BI (which did not go down well) but I won in the end, asking the BI to produce evidence that my design was not “fit for purpose”. Do nothing.

Edited July 14, 2020 by joe90

[JFDIY]

Can't you hire a tester and get building control on site to witness it?

 

Looks like hire of a tester is around £100 for a week.

 

You need building control to define what a pass will be? Is it pull out to failure and record the force achieved, or load to a sensible value and prove it can withstand it.

 

I'd do a test before getting building control on site.

 

Is it a case of that if you added more fixings they'd be happy , might currently look like it's not got enough and doubling up makes the issue go away.

 

Have you a picture?

[joe90]

@Alex L I don’t see it’s your responsibility to prove that a qualified SE is right! 

[Ferdinand]

Agree with the t'others.

 

Your council chap is impressively far on a limb.  

[Temp]

6 hours ago, JFDIY said:

You need building control to define what a pass will be?

 

I bet he says that's up to your SE !

[Temp]

If this is a semi detached house beware because I've read some BCO are asking you to get a written agreement from the other house that they wont do work that undermines your use of gallows brackets (eg that they wont do the same).

[Alex L]

Thanks all for the advice. I've spent the last couple of days arguing with Building Control about it and they have backed down and agreed to give me my regularisation certificate. Very relieved!