Building on sand

[Ivor Windybottom]

I'm planning a garage, which will need planning permission. This is new territory for me.

We have sandy topsoil, on top of sand - it's like a bright yellow beach when you get about 1m down. We've been down to 3m before while doing the sewage system, we only encountered the odd lump of clay among it, but we didn't reach a point at which it became solid clay. We also had several trench wall collapses, it should have been propped really.

It's very clean, nothing brown or black, it looks like sharp sand but with a bit of clay-like stickiness. You could squeeze it into a ball, but it would crumble fairly easily.

It will be single storey, cavity wall with a pitched tiled roof.

The main building is a bungalow with a strip foundation. It seems to be OK, I'd be happy with this for a single storey. But I'm worried that with modern standards they may start demanding piling or a raft foundation. Which seems a bit much for a garage.

Questions...

Will the granting of planning permission automatically lead to building control being involved?
What would building control normally require of this sort of situation?

Thanks all.

 

[jj4091]

You will have to apply for planning permission and building regulation approval they will either pass or fail your approval for building regs according to the plans submitted which will need detailed drawings of all works both under and above ground. Who is doing the design work?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

You will have to apply for planning permission and building regulation approval they will either pass or fail your approval for building regs according to the plans submitted which will need detailed drawings of all works both under and above ground. Who is doing the design work?

If certain criteria is met ie below 30m2 and either over 1m from the boundary or clad in non-combustible materials it won't need Building Regs. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/pe...egulations-approval-needed-for-an-outbuilding

Anyway what foundation is the house on?

 

[stevie888]

Detatched garage <30sqm doesn't need BRA.

You'd not normally need PP either unless forward of building line.

A raft would be easiest option and no great difficulty to build: you'd need floor anyway.

 

[noseall]

If certain criteria is met ie below 30m2 and either over 1m from the boundary or clad in non-combustible materials it won't need Building Regs.

And not attached to the house.

Anyway what foundation is the house on?

Good question.

I'm planning a garage, which will need planning permission. This is new territory for me.

We have sandy topsoil, on top of sand

We have built on sandy friable ground. No problem. The main issue for us was side collapses and the trench requiring at least 1/3rd more concrete poring in, due to the non-regular trench sides. Building Control were fully au fait with the area (Great Bridgeford, Staffs) and the soil conditions.

They said anything is better than dense clay!

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

And not attached to the house.

Good question.

For some reason I assumed it wasn't detached, also the existing house is strip foundation's apparently.