MarkA Posted November 14, 2017 Share Posted November 14, 2017 Hi to all of you. I am Mark and I have been a long term lurker (over three years now) on buildhub and ebuild before that. It’s been great to see a community developing and following your journeys since the founding members took the big step to set up buildhub. The reason for not joining until now has been because we have been fighting one of those long drawn out planning battles where it has seemed like it was going to be a long shot whether we would ever get permission granted (we are in a tricky location which is technically 'open countryside' in the eyes of the planners even though there are houses by us). This seems like a common story for lots of people on the forum and ours is not as bad as some. Anyway, to cut a long, painful (and expensive) story short we have just won on appeal and so now have planning permission to build the house we have been waiting so long for. The house that we are going to build is a 4 bedroom house with a separate garage/office and reasonable sized greenhouse. My wife is a keen gardener (I am the manual labourer when it comes to gardening) and the greenhouse she wants is big enough to need planning permission itself so we thought we had better go for it all in one hit (who knows when it will actually be built, it depends on how the build costs for the rest goes – with the way in which material prices keep going up this could be a while). We are splitting our existing plot and building next door to where we currently live so we can stay in the village we very much like being part of and have been in for 20 years now. We are most likely going timber frame and have talked to pretty much all the usual suspects about what they can supply over the last few years. We will also have three generations of the family living there which leads to certain demands so we can sensibly co-exist in the long term. We found out that we had won the appeal last week and spent last weekend making sure we could remember what on earth we said we were going to build and why, as it had been such a long time since all the decisions had been made and the plans submitted… Our architect has actually done OK and been remarkably patient with the numerous and significant changes that were made to the drawings in response to the planning officers demands (over and over and over again – I think I missed saying ‘over’ enough times here). However, he is old school and does not really understand passive house (we don’t want certified) builds so we now need to track down an architectural technologist who can help us pull together the building regs drawings and ideally has some idea of what this sort of build will involve. The design has essentially been imposed on us by the planners so we will have to work within its constraints. I am going to jump in and make a big request to you all (bearing in mind I have just turned up) and ask to be pointed in the direction of architectural technologists or equivalent you have worked with or encountered who you thought seemed to have the right mindset so we can move to the next stage now. We are based in North Essex, about 5 miles from the Suffolk border, but the location shouldn’t really stop us from using someone from anywhere really. Onwards and upwards, at last. Now just got to find the contact details for that soil investigation company I spoke to over 2 years ago when I looked younger and had some hair… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanR Posted November 14, 2017 Share Posted November 14, 2017 (edited) Hi Mark, congrats on winning the battle and welcome to the forum. We're just South of Chelmsford. Before you jump into your Building Regs drawings, you may wish to decide on the Frame and foundation supplier as a number of details will come directly from them, lightening the load on what you need to produce yourself. We used a Touchwood Homes frame and Advanced Foundation Technologies slab. TW put us in contact with an Architect they use to help develop some of the non-standard passive house detailing. It was money well spent and as he knew their frame technology well as well as the slab I ended up getting him to pull the Building Regs drawings together and it turned out very cost efficient. Edited to add: The PH Architect, although British, resides in Australia, which made no difference to the support he gave. Edited November 14, 2017 by IanR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted November 14, 2017 Share Posted November 14, 2017 Welcome and good luck. A few other Essex people here so it shouldn't be long before they appear. You may even be able to see them what with Essex being dead flat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted November 14, 2017 Share Posted November 14, 2017 Hi and welcome to the forum. You could have joined earlier and would have been most welcome and might have got some help with the planning and appeal. Hopefully someone from Essex will be along soon with some local knowledge. There will be plenty of help and suggestions on how to build your house and what construction method etc. Remember there will be may different ways to achieve what you want so it's not as simple as what is right or wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted November 14, 2017 Share Posted November 14, 2017 Welcome. 22 minutes ago, MarkA said: Onwards and upwards Did your wife tell you to say that so that you can filter out the gardeners? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted November 14, 2017 Share Posted November 14, 2017 (edited) 6 minutes ago, SteamyTea said: Welcome. Did your wife tell you to say that so that you can filter out the gardeners? Or she may want a hill... Welcome, @MarkA. Edited November 14, 2017 by Ferdinand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkA Posted November 14, 2017 Author Share Posted November 14, 2017 Thank you for the warm welcome. The site ends up being just under 1 acre when split so still plenty of room for volunteers to help with the gardening (please). We are lucky enough to be in an area of Essex which is a hidden gem, not really appropriate to say hilly, but rolling countryside is probably a better description. Don't tell too many people they will all want to come here. I have uploaded a picture giving an idea of the general area and the location of the site (red arrow pointing at corrugated iron roof on the small barn which is to be demolished). Existing house to the left. You will see some level differences, fairly unusual for most of Essex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted November 14, 2017 Share Posted November 14, 2017 Hi and welcome mark . Its ALL about the plumbing TBH, the rest will simply fall in behind it Ill be visiting the S&BiL over Xmas ( Broomfield ) so do you think you'll be ready for 1st fix by then ? Congrsts on winning the fight, now for the nice bit......Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkA Posted November 14, 2017 Author Share Posted November 14, 2017 @Nickfromwales - not quite first fix (cannot even invite you over for a demolition party ). Got an archeological condition to fulfill which is also a bit murky as to what is really required (was historic building recording now seems to be morphing into something more onerous if we are unlucky in how things are being interpreted). Grrrr. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeSharp01 Posted November 14, 2017 Share Posted November 14, 2017 It's already been a long haul but you can now see the end even if not quite the bit in between here and the end - where there will be dragons (not Welsh ones though), but you just fight each one as it comes along like you have so far with planning. It will be interesting to see how you link the house and greenhouse heating together as it feels like there should be some great synergies there. Welcome and good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted November 14, 2017 Share Posted November 14, 2017 (edited) Ah, an archaeologist report, that is nothing, just say 'Have you seen the film Essex Boys'. Just make sure you clear out the bats and newts. I used to live in a hidden gem of Essex, jewel of the arterial infact, Basildon Edited November 14, 2017 by SteamyTea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gone West Posted November 14, 2017 Share Posted November 14, 2017 Good luck with the project Mark, it looks like a very nice area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkA Posted November 14, 2017 Author Share Posted November 14, 2017 Cheers all. @SteamyTea No bats, no newts - only took two bat surveys (more costs - the perils of too much elapsed time) before they would accept it had been demonstrated (though we did have some troublesome neighbours a few doors away going on about slow worms - never seen one around here). I have yet to find a hidden gem in Basildon, you must be very talented @IanR Sorry Ian, I should have started at the top of the list of responses. We started in Chelmsford then kept moving further north over the years. No traffic lights for about 8 miles around here which makes it rural by Essex standards. What you say makes a lot of sense and it is also reassuring to hear that distance was no object with your PH architect Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Construction Channel Posted November 14, 2017 Share Posted November 14, 2017 .... North Essex - Suffolk border....... north of Chelmsford....... my money says were close.. how far from Saffron Walden are you?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CC45 Posted November 14, 2017 Share Posted November 14, 2017 I left Essex 7 years ago - Chelmsford was 3 miles to our East. The Suffolk / Essex border has some beautiful countryside. Good luck with that build. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkA Posted November 15, 2017 Author Share Posted November 15, 2017 @Construction Channel We are about 5 miles east of Halstead. Google maps reckons 27 miles to Saffron Walden by the most direct route by road, so further than I thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Construction Channel Posted November 15, 2017 Share Posted November 15, 2017 54 minutes ago, MarkA said: @Construction Channel We are about 5 miles east of Halstead. Google maps reckons 27 miles to Saffron Walden by the most direct route by road, so further than I thought. Ahh looks like you a bit further east than I guessed. But still only about 20 miles. My mother went to school on headingham which can’t be far from you. Ah yes. And welcome by the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkA Posted November 15, 2017 Author Share Posted November 15, 2017 Thank you @Construction Channel. We know people from around Hedingham which is about 15 mins or so away. You probably have a good idea about what this area is like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jml Posted November 15, 2017 Share Posted November 15, 2017 Lived in Braintree for a number of years and spent many weekends looking at possible barn conversions near you and further north, never took the plunge unfortunately. Hope your build goes well, in what is one of my favourite areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Construction Channel Posted November 15, 2017 Share Posted November 15, 2017 8 hours ago, MarkA said: You probably have a good idea about what this area is like. Born and Bread... you don't get much more local than me unless you start venturing into Norfolk .....or Cornwall, and they sound strangely similar...I wonder whats going on there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkA Posted November 16, 2017 Author Share Posted November 16, 2017 Thank you @Jml. Mother in law lives in Braintree so it is well known to us. We also looked at barn conversion projects some years ago but finance was always a problem for us and our lives have now moved on as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney12 Posted November 16, 2017 Share Posted November 16, 2017 10 hours ago, Construction Channel said: Born and Bread... you don't get much more local than me unless you start venturing into Norfolk .....or Cornwall, and they sound strangely similar...I wonder whats going on there? My fathers side of the family is from Surlingham in Norfolk (mind you they're all dead other than my Dad but that's another story involving a deep dislike of children and thus very little breading ). I've lived in Devon for nearly 30 years. So I feel almost qualified to answer that question...... The only similarities I can see (but these may apply to all rural communities/counties): 1. All the farmers are poor (no really, some don't change their Mercs until they're dirty). 2. All locals deeply resent and distrust anyone without at least three generations of local lineage. 3. ALL (without question) have short arms and deep pockets. But back to my main point. @MarkA Loos like a great site. Good luck and enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted November 16, 2017 Share Posted November 16, 2017 And that is just Janners, try the lot further west Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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