OldYeller Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 Hello all! We are finally taking the first steps towards our first self-build project in a small village in Cambridgeshire. About 7 years ago we found a run-down 1950’s house sitting in a lovely 0.75-acre plot in the middle of the village conservation area. We are currently living in the old house and we have submitted a full planning application to demolish and replace the house with a larger, well insulated modern ‘barn style’ house to fit in well with the surroundings. Our LPA took nearly 9 weeks just to validate our application (they did ask for one minor correction which was provided on the same day). The application seems to be moving forward well now with neighbours and parish council supportive. Our Phase 1 eco survey stated ‘low potential for bat roost’ and unfortunately one pesky Pipistrelle was then spotted emerging during a follow-up dusk survey! We have now had a dawn survey and we will have to pay for bat mitigation including supervised hand stripping of the old roof tiles… I’m planning to be very much ‘hands on’ during the build and I have already found lots of useful info on the forum. I’m sure I’ll have plenty of questions as we get underway. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Jimbo Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 Bloody bats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 Talk about human rights, bats seem to have more rights than us ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markc Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 Bats Lives Matter 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roundtuit Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 Welcome! Embrace your bats! In the not too distant future you can sit on your new patio on a warm summers evening (with a glass of wine perhaps?) watching them flit around keeping the bugs down... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jilly Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 Make friends with your ecologist, as they can be like Building Control Officers: either very helpful and reasonable, or the exact opposite. One problem I had was the specification to use F1 bituminous felt. If this is specified, take care as it is not breathable so you need to ensure there is good loft ventilation, particularly tricky in parts of a pitched/vaulted ceiling. John Wayne forgot to do this and it's given me a headache. Another thing to note is that a membrane called 'Batsafe' is not,so beware, you will be made to remove it, it is like the usual polyester breathable membranes (tangles in bats' feet and entraps them). It's the subject of ongoing lawsuits but is still for sale to the unwary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Temp Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 26 minutes ago, Jilly said: Make friends with your ecologist, as they can be like Building Control Officers: either very helpful and reasonable, or the exact opposite. One problem I had was the specification to use F1 bituminous felt. If this is specified, take care as it is not breathable so you need to ensure there is good loft ventilation, particularly tricky in parts of a pitched/vaulted ceiling. John Wayne forgot to do this and it's given me a headache. +1 One web site says there is currently no bat approved breathable membrane. If you use a non breathable membrane you need either a ventilated loft (insulation on the floor of the loft) or if the insulation is at rafter level then you need a 50mm deep ventilated void under the membrane. Both needs vents at the eaves and the latter needs vents at the ridge as well. An alternative would be to go for a so called "warm roof construction. This has all/most of the insulation above the rafters rather than between and/or below them. Caution, many builders have never built "warm roof construction" and think it just means there are rooms in the roof - not so. A proper warm roof construction needs special long fasteners to fix counter battens to the rafters through the thick insulation. If your builder claimed to understand warm roof construction ask which fasteners he prefers ? Another alternative is SIP roof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldYeller Posted June 4, 2021 Author Share Posted June 4, 2021 Thanks for the comments and bat humour! I do quite like to watch the bats at dusk, just don’t like getting reamed for several £k before we even get started! I hadn’t considered the potential impact upon roof construction, but I’m still waiting for the report with bat mitigation measures. Fingers crossed it won’t be a heated two storey bat annexe ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted June 5, 2021 Share Posted June 5, 2021 15 hours ago, Jilly said: Make friends with your ecologist, Definitely agree, ours was very good and reasonable. I didn’t want bat boxes in the house but preferred several in the garage/workshop , the ecologist agreed. Planners still insisted on bat boxes built into the house as well. When I won at appeal the officer told the council they were not qualified to overrule the ecologist ?. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jilly Posted June 5, 2021 Share Posted June 5, 2021 8 hours ago, joe90 said: Definitely agree, ours was very good and reasonable. I didn’t want bat boxes in the house but preferred several in the garage/workshop , the ecologist agreed. Planners still insisted on bat boxes built into the house as well. When I won at appeal the officer told the council they were not qualified to overrule the ecologist ?. I was at the very naive stage when our bat mitigation stage was done, I didn't realise any of it was up for discussion. Next time, hey! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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