Potential Self Builders in Lincolnshire

[TyroBuilders]

Hello everyone,

 

As I approach retirement, my wife and I are beginning the journey to self building our eco-friendly, carbon minimising home.  We have long held the dream of designing and building something unique and just for us utilising the advances in insulation, power generation, construction and other technologies.

 

We have no illusion that this will be a stress-free or low-cost project but we feel we have this window to finally see if we can achieve our dream.

 

The plot we have identified, and which we are currently at the conveyancing stage, already has Outline Planning Permission for the building of a detached house and garage (all matters reserved) but is beginning to throw up some ecological difficulties namely the likely presence of Great Crested Newts!

 

We know this is going to be a challenging time, and project, but we are full of enthusiasm (at the moment) so standby for many requests for help and guidance.

 

We look forward to slowly going through many of the posts on this forum and getting to know your projects, problems and solutions.  Recommendations will be gratefully received.

 

Regards, TyroBuilders

 

[SteamyTea]

16 minutes ago, TyroBuilders said:

likely presence of Great Crested Newts

Walk away, or bleach.

 

Have you though of buying an existing property and refurbishing it, probably lower ecological damage.

[saveasteading]

There nothing wrong with having GCNs. They are a reptile that happens to be rare in some areas.

Planners tend  not to be aware of the easy remedies.

Some consultants take advantage.

 

Don't make them rarer by filling a pond of other habitats. Don't endanger them in any other way.

 

I've dealt with them only twice. You may take confidence or otherwise.

1. A city Council which had a policy that most GCNs were in a pond in certain months. That was the only time to clear the site for construction. No other constraints. 

2. I engaged a pragmatic consultant to give an overview of any likely constraints for a new client. He said that 70% there would be GCNs.

So we had a choice..spend thousands to find if there were, and again to catch them and relocate them. OR assume they are there and only do work as in 1. OR in that case keep mowing the grass.

That was accepted, I think with some reluctance.

 

So it depends on your  council.

[nod]

1 hour ago, SteamyTea said:

Walk away, or bleach.

 

Have you though of buying an existing property and refurbishing it, probably lower ecological damage.

Plus one 

 

If you really are worried about ecological damage and carbon 

Building a house isn’t for you 

Renovating is a far better option 

 

Ive works on lots of jobs with Newts 

Without much issue But will cost you time and money 

[ToughButterCup]

Hold my beer. 

First off, here's a photo of  my pet GCN - the grandchildren have called her  Petula

 

 Just kidding ( it's an offence)

 

Summary.

Newts can be a problem, but need not be. It's how we humans deal with the issue that makes the difference to them - and us.

Here's most of the stuff I have written about the humble GCN. Deal with the matter through a RAMS Method Statement

 

You will hear the refrain offered above (shoot first : ask later ) in every country pub anywhere in the UK.  Of course, since they aren't rare - not even slightly rare - it doesn't matter.

Kill them if you must - or rather try to kill them if you can. Because ( to use the technology suggested above) you'll be spending a massive amount of money on Sodium Hypochlorite. There aren't enough days in the year, nor is there enough bleach in the world to kill your local population. I have found GCNs deep underground, under shed foundations, in walls, in our coal hopper, on our kitchen floor, in our tool shed, under our heavy vehicle ground protection mats. If they are there, you won't see them. They are photophobic, and black-coloured ( except the belly) . Have you ever tried to find you black mobile phone thats been dropped on the black car floor carpet? Looking for black objects on a black background ain't easy.   And if you can see them, you are over-run with the little blighters. If they are in your locality, check the road surfaces after heavy rain  on a warm late Spring night and morning.  They'll be road-kill: round our place we find a good few on the mornings when they are moving from their hibernacular to the local ponds. March is a good time.

 

I made a massive mistake with our children. 

They were brought up to love newts ( Ever seen a baby newt ? - Its like having a live chip of translucent jade walking on your hand) . Off they went T shirts and shorts, bucket, net , knobbly knees, snotty nosed to all the other ponds around, fished some out and brought them back to our pond . 25 years later, I'm trying - without success - recoup their pocket money. Why? Because it cost a good few thousand  to deal with our local population of GCNs. BEFORE we could start. In our house, the word Ecologist is always followed by throat clearing and a hefty attempt at reaching the spitoon from across the kitchen. 

Hah! and thats not the worst of it!

 

The next door neighbour made a Planning Application a year after we did. I still feel the hackles rising on my neck when I tell this story, so rather than re-tell it, here's a link to it

 

Conclusion.

Choose your Ecologist with great care . If GCNs are present,  INSIST on a simple RAMS statement, and don't employ an ecologist who disagrees with that type of Method Statement. 

Cost? zero

Delay, Zero.

 

Sorry @SteamyTea, @nod - you're wrong.

 

Apologies for my rudeness. Welcome @TyroBuilders .

At a guess - aviation sector yes? -  Some very similar MOs in this sector : like  - leave the ground and you are going to have to land. Start a build and you're going to have to finish. 

Sunk costs and all that.

Edited February 9 by ToughButterCup

[SteamyTea]

12 minutes ago, ToughButterCup said:

you're wrong

Like everything in science, especially the ecosystem, it all depends.

If you have a lot of space, then maybe not a problem.  If tight on space, it may well be game over.

There is often talk about changing the rules about GCN in the UK as they are not rare here, but I doubt it will happen.  Got bat tunnels to build first, and before that, the trees have to be checked.

I spent too long at university with ecologists to take their arguments seriously.

Edited February 9 by SteamyTea

[nod]

10 minutes ago, ToughButterCup said:

Hold my beer. 

First off, here's a photo of  my pet GCN - the grandchildren have called her  Petula

 

 Just kidding ( it's an offence)

 

Summary.

Newts can be a problem, but need not be. It's how we humans deal with the issue that makes the difference to them - and us.

Here's most of the stuff I have written about the humble GCN. Deal with the matter through a RAMS Method Statement

 

You will hear the refrain offered above (shoot first : ask later ) in every country pub anywhere in the UK.  Of course, since they aren't rare - not even slightly rare - it doesn't matter.

Kill them if you must - or rather try to kill them if you can. Because ( to use the technology suggested above) you'll be spending a massive amount of money on Sodium Hypochlorite. There aren't enough days in the year, nor is there enough bleach in the world to kill your local population. I have found GCNs deep underground, under shed foundations, in walls, in our coal hopper, on our kitchen floor, in our tool shed, under our heavy vehicle ground protection mats. If they are there, you won't see them. They are photophobic, and black-coloured ( except the belly) . Have you ever tried to find you black mobile phone thats been dropped on the black car floor carpet? Looking for black objects on a black background ain't easy.   And if you can see them, you are over-run with the little blighters. If they are in your locality, check the road surfaces after heavy rain  on a warm late Spring night and morning.  They'll be road-kill: round our place we find a good few on the mornings when they are moving from their hibernacular to the local ponds. March is a good time.

 

I made a massive mistake with our children. 

They were brought up to love newts ( Ever seen a baby newt ? - Its like having a live chip of translucent jade walking on your hand) . Off they went T shirts and shorts, bucket, net , knobbly knees, snotty nosed to all the other ponds around, fished some out and brought them back to our pond . 25 years later, I'm trying - without success - recoup their pocket money. Why? Because it cost a good few thousand  to deal with our local population of GCNs. BEFORE we could start. In our house, the word Ecologist is always followed by throat clearing and a hefty attempt at reaching the spitoon from across the kitchen. 

Hah! and thats not the worst of it!

 

The next door neighbour made a Planning Application a year after we did. I still feel the hackles rising on my neck when I tell this story, so rather than re-tell it, here's a link to it

 

Conclusion.

Choose your Ecologist with great care . If GCNs are present,  INSIST on a simple RAMS statement, and don't employ an ecologist who disagrees with that type of Method Statement. 

Cost? zero

Delay, Zero.

 

Sorry @SteamyTea, @nod - you're wrong.

 

Apologies for my rudeness. Welcome @TyroBuilders .

At a guess - aviation sector yes? -  Some very similar MOs in this sector : like  - leave the ground and you are going to have to land. Start a build and you're going to have to finish. 

Sunk costs and all that.

We had one of those 😁

[TyroBuilders]

First of all, thank you @ToughButterCup for your welcome - how did you know😉

 

Thank you all for your insights into dealing with GCNs.  We are committed to going through with the build on this site, for many reasons, but wish to so in an ecologically sympathetic yet financially appropriate manner and your thoughts/experiences will be invaluable.

 

 

[ProDave]

My suggestion. Don't be in a hurry, bide your time working out exactly what you want and drawing your plans and designing the house you want, before you go back to planning.

 

With the amount of people now appearing on the news saying we need to remove obstacles to building and projects should not be delayed by bats and newts, then if this really is government policy then by the time you have your plans ready you can argue "The PM says we should not be delayed by newts"  if indeed you even have to argue it as surely the planning policy must change to suit the governments mantra?

 

That does not stop you being sympathetic to the newts when you do build, it should hopefully just avoid you having to pay someone to say blatantly obvious things about how you are going to safeguard them.

[saveasteading]

I had to rush my 'send'. 

You have clearly stated that you intend to proceed so that clarifies greatly.

Otherwise I was going to suggest that it might be an expensive battle.

 

As all the good advice above,  take your time but waste no time. 

Tidy your garden now of piles of stuff that will later have to be removed for works. That will give the newts an opportunity to relocate.

Then keep it all clear of any habitats. There is no law against tidying the garden or cutting the grass. 

When the council visit there will be nowhere on your build area that newts could be living. 

 

Assume there will be objections and that the consultant they ask will tell the council that he needs to be appointed before and after, for several £k

By that time you may have found a sympathetic specialist who supports you, or you will be expert enough yourself. Read al local applications and you will find a pattern to argue against.

With your application you submit a long and attractive paper, in easy to follow form, with pans and photos, on what is there, what you are doing so no newts are harmed, and why there isn't even a need for a watching brief. You may include some new habitats away from the build area.

It will read as a benefit, not harm , to newts.

In fact you might start by saying how obvious it is that no newts can be harmed, but here is an explanation anyway.

[TyroBuilders]

Thank you all for your comments and encouragement, all gratefully received.

 

I had no intention of hijacking this "Introduce Yourself" page and if someone knows how to move all the GCN posts to a more relevant place, then I'd be very happy to oblige.