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Clearly yout last b/c bod needs to re-read the regs. What do we pay these people for.....?

Genuine question: why avoid GRP?

Any structural element (which of course includes beams) in a dwelling must have 30 mins fire protection, except those elements solely supporting a roof (eg purlins).

Don't worry, freshly-poured concrete loves water. It will be fine.

From two recent similar jobs I've looked at recently, I'd bet the farm that those walls are not loadbearing. For peace of mind, prod around the plaster near the top with a strong screwdriver and you'll see there's no connection

@Nose, being in Staffiordshire you would know these bricks as Staffordshire Blues, some of the finest and hardest bricks made. They are often used in two courses as a dpc (in hard 1:3 mortar) so there probably wouldn't need to be a rolled-out dpc as well?

I doubt there's any contract here, implied or express. The building industry seems to be one of the few which normally does not charge for quoting. As Nose points out, you win some and loose some. Its a wasteful system in a way from the builder's perspective because for each job undertaken, 3 or...

I think one of the problems is that today, SEs seem to be taught that if any new structure is being applied to an existing building, be it anything from a beam to an additional storey, it must be supported independently of the building. I kid you not when I say I've seen plans for a loft...

His SE is certainly keeping the Chinese steel mills busy.

OMG! Where to begin? It doesnt tell you that, over time, timber under load deflects and takes on a permanent 'set' - its called timber 'creep'. For that reason, you would never fit 200mm plates to the side of bent 200mm joists Does CrapGPT tell you how to lug 10mm steel plates 3.5m long...

200 x 200 SHS columns and a 203 x 203 x 52 UC for a 3.6m span in a domestic structure is absolutely bonkers. That's not engineering - its profligacy.

Just a thought: the cracking looks more in the horizontal direction rather than in the vertical. Could it be that the wall in the lower section is built of lightweight block, which is known for shrinkage cracking? If so, it might have pulled some of the joints apart in the brickwork above? If...

It's not just the strength of the bolts themselves that matters, its also how the bolts react with the timber they are fixing, Here's an extract which which might give a clue as to your bolt-load capacity. Its for timber>timber connections but wont be far out for your purposes

The two most common grades of bolts are 4.6 and 8.8 (not sure if there's a 5.8?) 8.8 is usually used for steelwork, and 4.6 for timber work. You didn't say what diameter of bolt you used (that is just as significant as the grade) and the spacing. If you know these, and the load on each bolt...

O/T I don't get it, but then I'm an old Defender fan.

In section it will look something like this (hopefully it won't lean over like this does!)

Is this what you mean? If so, it is very risky taking out the ground floor chimney breast because the arch pushes in from next door and you end up with a big mess in both houses. It can be done but requires some hefty steelwork bracing on your side of the wall and will work out expensive...

Why couldn't he explain this 'other way round'?? Generally chimney flues in the loft space are supported on ether a steel beam (though you need an internal load-bearing wall plus sufficient wall at the side of the window) or suitably secured gallows brackets.

If you're stuck in a bind and you have to go back to the disappointed builder with your tail between your legs, how can you expect hm to knock money off? If anything, he'd put more on, or say he's now too busy.

That's only for doors opening across the bottom of the stairs. As there's no specifiic rule against a door over a single step, it is permitted. It would be wise, however, to hinge the door on the newel side so that you don't open it to find yourself standing directly over the next step down...