Help - Building control needed or not

[Bioncy]

Help, we are building a self build conservatory, and have in writing that we don't need Planning permission. I have contacted Building Control and they say conservatory excluded, even though we go over a shared drain. We are planning to dig down to drain and support drain with concrete, and lintle over drain. Do I or do I not need building control involved !! They have been quite dismissive, but reading mail on here, everyone seems to say you do.
Thanks

 

[Richard C]

My large con’s is built over a drain run & I did make sure the company fitted supporting lintels in the wall base at each side over the pipe run to comply with the regs. We had a BI here several times for inspection of other stuff on the house but he wasn’t interested in inspecting provision I’d made over the drain run (which isn’t shared); unless he had a crafty nose around when I wasn’t looking!

I don’t understand why you LABC are being sh**ty about it, just ask them point blank do they want to inspect the provision your making over the drain run or not! In most cases, BR’s don’t apply to the rest of the cons (except glass & electrics) providing you follow all the rules that maintain it as a temporary structure.

 

[^woody^]

Building control only has a remit to deal with "controlled works". Your conservatory is not controlled works and so they can not legally get involved.

The fact that you are building over a drain is irrelevant.

 

[Bioncy]

My large con’s is built over a drain run & I did make sure the company fitted supporting lintels in the wall base at each side over the pipe run to comply with the regs. We had a BI here several times for inspection of other stuff on the house but he wasn’t interested in inspecting provision I’d made over the drain run (which isn’t shared); unless he had a crafty nose around when I wasn’t looking!

I don’t understand why you LABC are being sh**ty about it, just ask them point blank do they want to inspect the provision your making over the drain run or not! In most cases, BR’s don’t apply to the rest of the cons (except glass & electrics) providing you follow all the rules that maintain it as a temporary structure.

Thanks Richard, LABC said not internested as conserv is excluded, to contact the local water authority. As it is a private drain, they have nothing to do with it ??

 

[Bioncy]

Building control only has a remit to deal with "controlled works". Your conservatory is not controlled works and so they can not legally get involved.

The fact that you are building over a drain is irrelevant.

Thanks Woody, as I said BC not interested when I phoned them. Neighbour a bit twitchy, do you think a good idea if we take take photo's at each stage as proof, and if neighbour does complain to BC, would that be suffice.

 

[Richard C]

Thanks Richard, LABC said not internested as conserv is excluded, to contact the local water authority. As it is a private drain, they have nothing to do with it ??

Correct; but if the drain run is shared with a neighbour, it might be worth giving them some reassurances.

 

[^woody^]

For drains, you are responsible for private drains within your property boundary.

What the neighbours think or are concerned about is again, irrelevent.

I would not bother with any photos or anything else really. You sound like you are going to do a proper job, so just get on with it!

Incidentally how far down is the drain? Unless it will be right under the foundation bottom or within the foundation itself, then a conservatory on a strip foundation is going to be putting little concentrated load on the pipe, and so digging down further to bridge over the pipe is a waste of time.

 

[noseall]

What the neighbours think or are concerned about is again, irrelevent.

my n'bour had a connie built smack over our shared drain run.

the run is used by about six of us.

i am upstream of the n'bour so any damage to the drain will effect me personally, as i will have sh1t all over my patio as a result of blundering connie installers.

so far the drains are running fine. fingers crossed.

had the work have been carried out with me living next door i may have been tempted to have a word.

can you imagine laying a concrete foundation on top of previously excavated earth. ffs.

 

[Bioncy]

had the work have been carried out with me living next door i may have been tempted to have a word.

can you imagine laying a concrete foundation on top of previously excavated earth. ffs. [/quote]

I had a word with neighbour and have assured her we are supporting the drain with concrete under and over the drain, and using lintle's on top where it goes over drain each side. She has been led to believe by her handy man (not sure if he is a builder) we still need building control involved, but its only 11 x 9 and we are supporting the drains.

 

[Richard C]

I had a word with neighbour and have assured her we are supporting the drain with concrete under and over the drain, and using lintle's on top where it goes over drain each side. She has been led to believe by her handy man (not sure if he is a builder) we still need building control involved, but its only 11 x 9 and we are supporting the drains.

Your doing the necessary work required by BR‘s, taking necessary precautions & being considerate by advising your neighbour; if she’s still not happy, give her the phone number of your LABC & invite her to check it out for herself.

Here’s a thought; depending on the age & type of drain run, it might be prudent for you to do a visual check or, if your in any doubt about the age/condition, rip it out & replace the section that runs under your cons. The drain run under my cons was only around 10 years old (plastic put in when they switched from cess pit to mains) so I left well alone but some of the other runs I have are 50 years old clay & horsehair so I would definitely have replaced if had been one of those. Very little extra cost involved & it’s repairs so LABC are not involved; the last thing you would want is to have to dig up your nice newly tiled cons. floor in the event of a problem.

 

[Bioncy]

Thanks Richard, I phoned LABC again today, and they confirmed I do not need building control, so long as its a private drain, which it is, and we put in some support. I have made a note of the conversation and who I spoke to, and will keep it should there be any future queries. Mr brother in law is doing the work, and he used to lay drains, so he will know if it needs replacing.

 

[noseall]

by the way, the connie wall did not bridge the drain at 90 degrees - no, this wall runs for 5 metres smack in line over the drain!

 

[Bioncy]

this wall runs for 5 metres smack in line over the drain! [/quote]

Arh, I see where you are coming from now !!!!. We made a start on digging the foundations and when we exposed the drain, the drain was already concreted in, nice, saved us alot of work. However, we have had to move the footings over slightly, and now the brick foundation will run right over the inspection chamber wall. We were thinking of putting a lintle in to support the weight above. The manhole cover, and inspection chamber are fully accessable, do you forsee a problem with this. ??