Perhaps I should have said environmental agency offices.
There does seem to be variation to how they are applied though. As you say elsewhere in this thread, mini treatment plants are becoming the norm and the one case where such a plant was installed that I am familiar with involved some *very* heavy "recommendations" from the environment official despite the fact that there was an existing (damaged)septic tank and (undamaged) soakaway which could have been reused.
In my case a mini treatment works was never even mentioned.
Originally we were just applying for outline permisssion, we havent submitted any detailed plans. The quote we got when submitting plans was for conversionto commercial premises (As planners said this was ok, but we were saying it was uneconomic,) was in the region of 450 thousand, which we were told would be roughly half for residential.
We have quite a large pond that at present wont hold water, so a regular input of water from a reed bed sewage treatment plant should be able to be discharged into it??
Not quite that simple I suspect. When applying for a new septic tank or treatment plant you have to submit test results for the permeability of the ground. The proximity of watercourses and boreholes is another factor that has to be taken into account. The greater the permeability smaller the soakaway that is required. It is highly unlikely that an old soakaway would come anywhere near the required size and in any case they do gradually become choked with debris over time. Thus a new one is almost invariably required. The fact that only a ten year consent will be issued for a septic tank suggests to me that the will no longer be allowed at all before too long.
I think you'll find it is enforceable under Part M - although so far as houses are concerned this only applies to new-build. Approved Document M contains the same diagram that appears in the OSG. You might be able to argue that it doesn't say that *all* sockets have to be between those heights.
UFH TV.radio distribution amp Every TV works flawlessly Enough cat 5 around to have phones and computers wherever you want without using silly DECT ond WiFi. Doorphones instead of doorbells Sepearrte switched and possibly dimmed circuits for lights, incldng 5A sockets for 'occasional' lighting - standard, desk and table lamps. LV spots if spots are what you want. Never ever use mains halogens. In laws have riopped them all out after months of expensive bulb replacements. I hardly have had to replace any LV bulbs at all. Alarm cables laid in to feed sensors, bells etc etc. A couple of wet rooms where we can shower the dog amd clean wellies. Slate floors in the busy areas to take the mud that country living involves. Outside electrical sockets, and hose places for watering the garden, washing mud off wellies, and running the odd power tool and gardeing implements. Designed in patios, walls, steps, car parking, etc etc. Including a way to get vehicles into the back garden for log cutting, and general tractor and digger access. Note that some car toyts are 1/48 scale, and many drawing are done at 1:50. This allows you to practice reversing in your drive without building it. It sounds silly, but it helped us enormously to utilise the space we had for vehicular access. Rainwater runoff vectored into a pond. Mains pressure hot water. With a BIG hot water tank. Water softening. Outside lights at every door. Single glazed lead lights. These are gorgeouus, and we never get condensation, except in the bathroom in the coldets weather, and the fan soon clears, and heavy grade thermally lined curtains make them better than double glazed, when drawn. Aga. A style decision. Working open fires of massive proportions. With underfloor vents to feed air to them. Insulation to teh highest possible standards. Re routing overhead 11KV to underground, an repalcing a patheric pole mounted transfrmner with a huge one in the garden corner. Ugly brute, but no more dimming lights when the microwave comes on. Fully boarded loft space, with storage racking. And lights. makes it easy to use for stirage, and easy to get to teh pipeworlkifnecessary, but al pipes are now enclosed om wooden ducts packed with rockwool.
Things I didn't get quite right
Lighting. Could use more switches, and more lights. UFH upstairs. It was almost impossible to install there (almost zero floor depth), but I wish I had made the effort However the wet fan blown convectors work very well and are less ugly than radiators. Chimneys. I ended up with smoke hoods. Not my fault but the builder whom I mistakenly trusted. I would have put even MORE insulation under the floor than the regs wanted. I would have paid FAR more ettention to micro draughts had I known how much diference a little gap in a piece of celotex made. Solid wood flooring rather than engineering laminate. I thik it would have been possible with UFH, if it were done with that in mind. We may one day remove the lot and go parquet... Pay to have the telephone feed undergrounded. Even bigger (than 22mm) water pipes everywhere. In a big house even thse lead to some flow reduction on CH and hot and cold water. Likewise a bigger bore than 22mm water softener. Its OK, but not quite as massive a flow as before I fitted it. Circulation systems for 'instant' hot water are a balance beytween how much heat you lose and how much water you swaste. Do the sums. I am unmetered on water. Even MORE detailed plans of layouts etc. Especially of things like utility rooms, and bathrooms and showers. Moving a bog post drainage installation is hugely difficult. Likewise when She wants the bed where the phone point and bedside light points are not, its a bit of a rewire.. A slightly more sophisticated and zoned heating controller. And more stats even than I have. Not hard to retrofit though. Even more built in storage than exists. Electricity in the garage. And maybe water too, A custom built workshop. A place for garden machinery that is thief proof. Some way to have cat flaps without draughts. Ditto a letter box.
Cost nothing really to lay teh wires. I thik i have at most 50 quid ofcat 5 in this house - but there are minium of two cat 5 to every habitable space. Likewuise UHF TV cable and alarm cable, Wifi can't punch thriough foil backed plasterboard and a house renderd in metal lath and cement..
I am on top of a hill, so its no issue here, but simple meaures like e.g. building a raised earh bank around the house with teh drives going over it, will keep you dry during temporary gflooding.
If its a brand new house, consider building it a few feet above ground level as well.
OK the bottom bit could be a cellar that just floods anyway - but can be pumped out.
Yup. Its not actually that much more expensive to run if you pay attention to insulation.
Given that you probably down't want out-of-house times of day tempertures to drop much below 15 anyway, you end up with almost as much overal heatloss from a house that cools down hen you are at work.
Given there would be similart thermal mass in it, and similar insulation.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.