Soakaway Building Regs question

[mrwmrw]

I am building a Garden room which does not require Building Regs. Does this mean I can site my soakaway much closer to the boundary (2-3 m) than Building Regs require. What I am trying to say the is does the soakway need to conform to building regs regardless of the building I am connecting it to?

Cheers.

 

[noseall]

The 5m rule applies to distance away from buildings not particularly boundaries.

If however the boundary is within 6m of a public highway then reg's do apply.

Common sense would say keep it well away from the buildings, regardless of reg's.

 

[jono_h]

Just dug mine a metre from the boundary - all passed with no problems.

As Noseall says, the further away from Buildings it is the better. If you aren't working under Building Regs then you could in theory put it closer to the building as it's unlikely to be spotted, but it's 5m for a reason!

 

[TicklyT]

Just because it doesn't require building control approval doesn't necessarily mean it doesn't need to comply with building regs. It's more like the BCO considers it a job that they can trust you to do correctly without the need for a formal inspection procedure.

Bear in mind that it will be you who will have to pick up the pieces if anything does go pear shaped. I don't think 'I thought it would be all right if I put it there, despite what the building regs say' would be much use as a defence in a court case if your neighbour's house started making it's way towards your soakaway.

 

[Goldberg]

You're legally obliged to comply with The Building Regulations, and if your LABC were to inspect the work and find it lacking, then you'd have to change it to comply - in this sense you also require LABC approval.

I think you mean that you think you're not required to notify your LABC department.

Is it a 'Class 7' extension?

 

[wastetech]

Take a look at the new soakaway crates and vaulted systems as these are easy to fit and work very well.

 

[Goldberg]

The actual minimum distance for a drainfield from a building under current building regs is 15 metres, not 5 metres.

That's all very well, but mrwmrw isn't constructing a foul water drainfield.

And you seem to think that the Approved Document is the same as The Building Regulations, but it isn't.

 

[noseall]

The actual minimum distance for a drainfield from a building under current building regs is 15 metres, not 5 metres. Please see the link and start at page 32. http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_PDF_ADH_2002.pdf[/QUOTE]

And you need to differentiate betwixt a drainfield and a soakaway.