IronMike Posted July 15, 2022 Share Posted July 15, 2022 Hi I have been told that I need to carry out a Preliminary Desktop Study on my site prior to starting the build. I am based in Hertfordshire, is there a company that you would recommend for this service ? My architect says that the fee will be around £900. Thanks IM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nod Posted July 15, 2022 Share Posted July 15, 2022 Every fee seams to be at least a £1000 plus vat now We paid 500 last time 5 years ago 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronMike Posted July 15, 2022 Author Share Posted July 15, 2022 2 hours ago, nod said: Every fee seams to be at least a £1000 plus vat now We paid 500 last time 5 years ago Thanks Nod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indy Posted July 15, 2022 Share Posted July 15, 2022 This is new to me - Preliminary Desktop Study for what exactly, out of interest? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Temp Posted July 15, 2022 Share Posted July 15, 2022 4 hours ago, IronMike said: I am based in Hertfordshire, is there a company that you would recommend for this service ? Thats going to depend on the survey. Archaeology? Contamination? Flooding? Traffic? Wildlife? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahG Posted July 15, 2022 Share Posted July 15, 2022 I would find out the exact wording of the survey you need from the council. We had to complete a preliminary ecology appraisal which included a bat roost assessment. We found a local guy who was well priced at £488 for a combined survey. I found him on the https://cieem.net/i-need/finding-a-consultant/ website. I would personally go for a small local company and have a chat to them first to make sure they sound reasonable, otherwise you can end up paying for other unnecessary surveys. Make sure you read up on this forum if you need to complete a bat roost assessment! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canski Posted July 15, 2022 Share Posted July 15, 2022 My initial survey was £700 plus vodka and tonic i made the mistake of not specifying what survey I needed. I thought I needed just a bat survey but there is a chance that I needed a full ecological survey which will make the extra £2400 for 3 bat emergence surveys ( plus more vodka and tonic) maybe a waste of money... although no bats have been found on the site (yet) . Next and final bat survey next week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted July 16, 2022 Share Posted July 16, 2022 18 hours ago, IronMike said: I have been told that I need to carry out a Preliminary Desktop Study on my site prior to starting the build. […] My architect says that the fee will be around £900. […] As others have said, start with understanding why and for what - your local council planning portal will have a list of what is required for an application so that’s your first port of call. Once you know that you can decide what is next. The quoted value by the architect may be via someone he knows so shop around - as @SarahG says, use local and check what’s needed first as you need someone with local knowledge especially if it is an ecology survey. Also, if you need follow on surveys such as roost identification or emergent bat surveys they can only be done May-September so don’t wait for the planning application if there is a high likelihood of bay activity. Other surveys that tend to be desk based are brownfield site contamination assessments and flood assessments - the latter shouldn’t be £900 as all the information is available on the environment agency website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted July 16, 2022 Share Posted July 16, 2022 IF it's purely a desktop study, then you don't necessarily need a local company. I'd trawl an area where they can commute easily without staying overnight - just in case you need a site-based study later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieKLP Posted July 16, 2022 Share Posted July 16, 2022 I think you probably need a PEA Preliminary Ecological Appraisal? They are a few hundred pounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronMike Posted July 17, 2022 Author Share Posted July 17, 2022 Thanks for all your advice. This is my first development. I am going to speak to Building Control on Monday to find out what is going on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jilly Posted July 17, 2022 Share Posted July 17, 2022 Have you got planning permission? Building Control comes afterwards and is a different, unrelated set of requirements to planning. Have a read of the recent post from the planning officer who got permission for a self build recently, it's a really useful document. Do lots of reading it's a very steep learning curve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted July 17, 2022 Share Posted July 17, 2022 This is going to sound bitter: because it is. Done carefully, and with a dash of luck, this post could save you over £500. Find another Preliminary Desktop Study online in your LPA Planning Application website The closer to your property the study was done the better Download it Edit it to show your personal details Tweek it a bit here and there. Falsify the Author's signature Submit the 'report' to the LPA as your own. Cost? Zero. I advise you NOT to do what I suggest above. Because it's unethical. It's not unlawful or illegal. It might be fraudulent. Why the somewhat uncharacteristic suggestion? It's what my neighbour did 5 years ago. References provided on request. The bigger picture is somehow fitting. 6 years later, he's still appealing his second Enforcement Order having spent a few thousand pounds on pointless Appeals - and still does not have Planning Permission. 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted July 18, 2022 Share Posted July 18, 2022 22 hours ago, ToughButterCup said: It's what my neighbour did 5 years ago Did he use your appraisal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted July 18, 2022 Share Posted July 18, 2022 He used complete blocks of our text: word for word the same. What adds insult to injury - we were required to get a licence from Natural England , and to construct a TAF all the way round the property (that low green sheeted fence )and leave the site alone for a year (cost = £6000 ) ..... whereas the mandated decision for him was I'm so annoyed I looked it up again .... Quote Great Crested Newts Great crested newt breeding ponds were identified through the desk top search, approximately 35m from the red edge. GCN are highly likely to be present on the site, but the ecological consultants believe that Reasonable Avoidance Measure are achievable rather than applying for a license through Natural England. As the pond seperated (sic!) from the development by a minor tarmac road and the footprint of the development appears to be small, I accept that RAMs are theoretically achievable for this development. However given the indicative layout requires hedgerow removed along the road frontage to create a visibility display and the extent of works is not yet provided I have concerns regarding how this will be achieved in practice. (Consultee response 15/00805/OUT downloaded July 2022) A RAMS (Reasonable Attenuation Method Statement) was accepted by the LPA : meaning in practice - that all he had to do was erect a notice pointing out that GCNs are around and if you find one, pop it back in the grass - cost of the notice - £10 max. Cost to us: north of £6000. We are 25 meters away from his property You're right @SteamyTea, I can get cross - but occasionally, its justifiable. Looking on the bright side, we now have a small pond full of GCNs (and some large Smooth Newts) , and grandchildren who will be able to watch their life-cycle in peace and quiet. Waiting for a wet night - U/V torches and excited kids at the ready. Recent showers brought the newts out to bask on the rocks round the pool edge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted July 18, 2022 Share Posted July 18, 2022 16 minutes ago, ToughButterCup said: Waiting for a wet night - U/V torches and excited kids at the ready. Don't get caught, you will not be allowed to teach ever again. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahG Posted July 18, 2022 Share Posted July 18, 2022 On 17/07/2022 at 11:01, ToughButterCup said: This is going to sound bitter: because it is. Done carefully, and with a dash of luck, this post could save you over £500. Find another Preliminary Desktop Study online in your LPA Planning Application website The closer to your property the study was done the better Download it Edit it to show your personal details Tweek it a bit here and there. Falsify the Author's signature Submit the 'report' to the LPA as your own. Cost? Zero. I advise you NOT to do what I suggest above. Because it's unethical. It's not unlawful or illegal. It might be fraudulent. Why the somewhat uncharacteristic suggestion? It's what my neighbour did 5 years ago. References provided on request. The bigger picture is somehow fitting. 6 years later, he's still appealing his second Enforcement Order having spent a few thousand pounds on pointless Appeals - and still does not have Planning Permission. Wow, that is bad. Got what they deserve in that case! Even if you are 100% sure you have nothing worth protecting I still understand that someone who is a professional must check and sign it off. I don’t know how it works for your local council but ours make you do pre planning before they will tell you the exact reports. They sell the planning as a way to find out exactly what you need. Therefore they are not likely to offer the knowledge over the phone for free. Hopefully yours is different and you can give them a call, or your architect can… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronMike Posted July 18, 2022 Author Share Posted July 18, 2022 On 17/07/2022 at 10:37, Jilly said: Have you got planning permission? Building Control comes afterwards and is a different, unrelated set of requirements to planning. Have a read of the recent post from the planning officer who got permission for a self build recently, it's a really useful document. Do lots of reading it's a very steep learning curve. Hi Jilly Yes I have, but I haven't started the build yet. I am being led by my architect, but communication at times has been poor. Hence me doing some digging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jilly Posted July 19, 2022 Share Posted July 19, 2022 Usually the required studies are all done and dusted before planning permission is granted, or they make up part of the Planning Conditions on your Decision Notice, so it's usually clear what you have to do (Apart from learning the lingo for each specification), so something doesn't quite make sense. Look very closely at your planning conditions and post on here. Confusingly, some have to be 'discharged' some don't, it's not always clear which is which. Within each parameter, each local authority is slightly different. I got stressed with my first architect but it was partly because I was so new to it all and not well. In reality, she was very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronMike Posted July 20, 2022 Author Share Posted July 20, 2022 (edited) I need to get a Geo Environmental Desktop Study and I am based in Hertfordshire. Edited July 20, 2022 by IronMike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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