Can I set up my site before building regs approval (Scotland)

[Dunc]

What can I do with my site before I achieve building regs approval in Scotland?

We want to put a static van on site to live in during the build. Logistically it would be useful to have this in place sooner than later in the overall proces.

So before we achieve building regs approval can I:

Get and electrical connection made?

Get a water connection made?

Install the sewage treatment plant and outflow?

 

Anything else it might be useful to do?

[Jenki]

hi @Dunc. I'm at the end of our build process and this was a green field with no services around 20months ago. 

 

I started the Warrant application, but this was held up with getting the certificate of design finalised. I did get the electricity and water connections made prior to warrant, and Installed the Treatment plan, After approval from SEPA, and Static sited, but you need the Drainage field / soakaway / rubble drain signed off as part of the warrant. I was in contact with the BC, (highlands) and he was happy with the process. lots of photos etc. and the timings helped that by the  time the warrant was issued I was ready for the inspection to connect up the treatment plant. 

[saveasteading]

4 hours ago, Dunc said:

So before we achieve building regs approval can I

This is all necessary site preparation to keep the staff safe and well. It is sensible to design it to then be appropriate for the project. 

Eg it avoids the use of chemical toilets.

[Bozza]

Can I just confirm you mean you have planning permission for a static caravan, and to build a house, but you are awaiting a building warrant for the actual house.

 

I thought you don’t need a building warrant, but you need PP, for a static caravan - but I’m happy to be corrected if wrong by others, as I didn’t have one on my build, so cannot be certain if this. Hopefully someone else can give you a better steer.

 

Off the back of my planning permission I did a lot of site clearance / utilities / prep, whilst awaiting the warrant being granted.   
 

I would concur with @Jenki, I also had a verbal and email dialogue with my local planners and building control depts, to ensure I could progress my project accordingly within the rules and requirements.  It seems there’s a better relationship between applicants & local authorities north of border, in fact in my shire my local planners etc were exceptionally helpful in keeping me right and made very helpful suggestions to allow progress.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Temp]

Not familiar with Scotland but..

 

I've heard of people asking the BCO if it's OK to dig (but not fill) the foundation trenches while you wait for approval to start. After all some people go down the Building Notice route rather than Full Plans Approval.

[Dunc]

Just to be clear, I meant "Building Warrant" rather than "building regs" - sorry I can't edit the post or title.

In Scotland, Building Warrant approval is requierd before starting construction; this is different from England/Wales.

I'm asking about what I can do to facilitate living on a site that has full planning approval but beofre starting construction of the hosue and before we have submitted our building warrant application.

 

The Highland Council have a specific exeption in Planning Permission for temporary accomodation on site:

"Living on Site During Construction: Self-builders often want to reside on site in temporary accommodation (caravans) during building works. Providing detailed planning approval has been obtained for the house, we consider this to be ‘permitted development’ during building works and you do not require planning permission for this aspect. We will however require the temporary accommodation to be removed once the house is built."

From https://www.highland.gov.uk/downloads/file/22985/self-build_guide

 

Sounds like Utilities are likely to be OK and that it's worth a phone call with Building Standards dept. to clarify stuff.

In my case I have SEPA approval for a sewage treatment plant with direct discharge to a water course.  @Jenki are you saying that installation of the STP was prior to BW sign off but the drainage field required inspection, or both STP and field were subject to inspection?

 

thanks

 

[saveasteading]

7 hours ago, Temp said:

some people go down the Building Notice route 

In Scotland there is no building notice option. If you absolutely know what you are doing, then this is a pain and a huge delay. As a strong positive, the risk of disagreement is removed before the start.

 

Even more of a difference is the need for a designer to be on the register: no diy. It's not a closed shop but for a single project it wasn't worth me registering and we had to use a local engineer....another story.

[ProDave]

I put our static on site before we even had full planning (we did have planning in principle) and got the water and electricity connected to the site.  BC are not interested in those.

 

BUT we did not occupy it and we did not have drainage.  It was then a long process to agree an acceptable drainage system with BC so would could not even think about installing that before the building warrant in the hope it would comply.  Note a static caravan itself is exempt from building control, but the drainage connection to service it, does come under building control and sure enough BC wanted to inspect and pressure test the spur of drain pipe branching off to the static caravan.

 

 

[Dunc]

Just rounding this out having finally managed to speak to the right people at Highland Council who confirmed what @ProDave and @Jenki said:

A static caravan on site during a build is considered a temporary Permitted Development, and the van must be removed on completion of the build.

However, the waste water management (installation of water treatment plant and soakaway/outflow pipe to water) comes under Building Control therefore requires either a separate warrant if doing in advance, or should be included in the main build warrant submission and will be subject to inspection.