Soakaway for the street scuppering my extension

[DizzyMare]

Hi newbie here, apologies for my ignorance in advance!

I have got planning permission to build a wrapround extension to my property. It transpires that I have a main soakaway going through my plot that actually runs "under" the main foul drain. This soakaway apparently takes the excess water from the whole street, so it makes it almost impossible to build over it? If permitted, which the architects says will never happen, it would take so much money it would be like digging a basement to rerun the soakaway and would entail digging both my driveway and my neighbours, which as new clearly they would not agree to. I am told that due to the new laws passed that our water company have total control over this issue?

My questions are as follows:

1) Is this true? It is not in my title deeds and I find it odd that I cannot build on my own plot without asking the water company? I am not allowed a build over agreement apparently? There isnt even an inspection point where I want to build? Is this final?



2) Are there any ways around it?

3) Would SIPS system bypass the need for hefty foundations, negating the rerun of the drains?

All thoughts and comments much appreciated thank you.

 

[Dereekoo]

Who says its a soakaway? Foul pipes laid on granular bedding quite normal, soakaways beneath foul or even surface water pipes not normal.

 

[DizzyMare]

Who says its a soakaway? Foul pipes laid on granular bedding quite normal, soakaways beneath foul or even surface water pipes not normal.

We had a drain inspection, I’ll see if I can attach screenshot?

 

[DizzyMare]

We had a drain inspection, I’ll see if I can attach screenshot?

The red lines in the above picture are the foul drains & the picture below the diagonal line is the soakaway that is supposed to service the whole road?

 

[Dereekoo]

So more of a land drain/surface water sewer than a soakaway. Notwithstanding that no doubt when the houses were originally built the builder would have liaised with the council at the time (pre 1974) or with the Water Authority ( pre 1991) or the Water Company ( present day) and agreed necessary pipe runs etc, unfortunately title deeds don't always show the details and Water Companies have wide ranging powers all stemming from the 1936 Public Health Act. I would think the best way ahead to stop running around in circles is to approach the Water Company for their views/recommendations/stance

 

[DizzyMare]

So more of a land drain/surface water sewer than a soakaway. Notwithstanding that no doubt when the houses were originally built the builder would have liaised with the council at the time (pre 1974) or with the Water Authority ( pre 1991) or the Water Company ( present day) and agreed necessary pipe runs etc, unfortunately title deeds don't always show the details and Water Companies have wide ranging powers all stemming from the 1936 Public Health Act. I would think the best way ahead to stop running around in circles is to approach the Water Company for their views/recommendations/stance

Yes and apparently a request will cost approx £2000 & the architect is certain it will be turned down & it will take months, which doesn’t fit into the schedule? It looks like it cannot be done, or we have to find an alternative, which is why I was asking about the SIPS way of building as it can be fitted on likings or giant screws, rather than normal foundations?

 

[DizzyMare]

So more of a land drain/surface water sewer than a soakaway. Notwithstanding that no doubt when the houses were originally built the builder would have liaised with the council at the time (pre 1974) or with the Water Authority ( pre 1991) or the Water Company ( present day) and agreed necessary pipe runs etc, unfortunately title deeds don't always show the details and Water Companies have wide ranging powers all stemming from the 1936 Public Health Act. I would think the best way ahead to stop running around in circles is to approach the Water Company for their views/recommendations/stance

Interesting that in my various covenants in the deeds it states I can build ano gay other things, an hotel in my garden if I want, but clearly not!

 

[Dereekoo]

Interesting that in my various covenants in the deeds it states I can build ano gay other things, an hotel in my garden if I want, but clearly not!

Quite odd, covenants usually tell you what you can't do not what you can do, but no doubt planning and the neighbours would have something to say about that

 

[Dereekoo]

Yes and apparently a request will cost approx £2000 & the architect is certain it will be turned down & it will take months, which doesn’t fit into the schedule? It looks like it cannot be done, or we have to find an alternative, which is why I was asking about the SIPS way of building as it can be fitted on likings or giant screws, rather than normal foundations?

Or even piles?

 

[DizzyMare]

Or even piles?

yes pilings not likings! Typo! Yes, there was a long list of what I can’t do, it was strange that they said that, there’s not enough room for a hotel, but when they were built it was a massive estate with just the Manor House, so probably covering all bases!?

 

[SpecialK]

How deep is it? The picture is too small to see any text.

Normally they like you to be 500mm away and 150mm under.

 

[DizzyMare]

The main foul drain is 30cm deep at one end, 96cm the other (bottom of pic) & the diagonal flood drain or whatever it is says 1.44m. Interestingly the side of the building, next doors garage and our old air raid shelter that was covered in all are already closer than the required distances?

I was wondering if a timber extension on a foot deep concrete slab would negate the problem, or if I’m being too simplistic?

 

[Notch7]

Yes and apparently a request will cost approx £2000 & the architect is certain it will be turned down & it will take months,

I still say contact your water authority -if you say who it is you might find professionals on here have dealt with them, some are more helpful than others

in regards to the money, I would say thats like a bond to be held and then balance refunded afterwards.

alternative construction like SIPs or timber frame make no difference -proper founds are needed.

 

[Dereekoo]

The main foul drain is 30cm deep at one end, 96cm the other (bottom of pic) & the diagonal flood drain or whatever it is says 1.44m. Interestingly the side of the building, next doors garage and our old air raid shelter that was covered in all are already closer than the required distances?

I was wondering if a timber extension on a foot deep concrete slab would negate the problem, or if I’m being too simplistic?

I'm reading the main sewer is 0.8m at the shallow end and the gulley pipe that feeds into it is 300mm deep?

 

[DizzyMare]

I still say contact your water authority -if you say who it is you might find professionals on here have dealt with them, some are more helpful than others

in regards to the money, I would say thats like a bond to be held and then balance refunded afterwards.

alternative construction like SIPs or timber frame make no difference -proper founds are needed.

The water company is Sourhern Water, although somebody said the other day they had joined with another company, but no idea if that’s true?

I saw some column footings, some pilings & on stopdigging.co.uk done giant screws (apparently suitable for all types of ground, I was thinking soakaway type stones/shingle before I realised it’s an actual drain as opposed to proper soakaway)? I was hoping that a lighter construction would not require the same robust foundations? They build whole houses on them these days, mine is just a small side & rear wrap round extension?