We are in a new build house wanting to build an extension on the back. We asked The water company

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for permission to build. After their sewer trace we were told the developers still own the sewers and a contract is in place with the water company and developers which will require alterations to enable a build over to be granted. This seems very unlikely, has anyone got any suggestions?
 
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Isn’t it more of a case you’d need approval from the developers along with the water company prior to being able to submit a Planning application?
 
We informed the developers of our intentions which they wished us well with. When our builder applied for permission he was told he needed to inform the water company. The water company steered us to having a sewer trace from which we were told about the agreement between the developers and the water company.
 
It sounds like you’ll have to go back to the developers and clarify the situation. They may have to either let the water company know giving their consent or provide you with that in order for you to forward on.
 
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We believe the contract between the water company and the developers Would need to be altered to enable us to go ahead. The guy at the water company told us this.
 
Good. So according to OFWAT you are responsible for sewage pipes solely used by you, your local water board are responsible for shared bits and its nowt to do with the developers. Whatever contractual arrangements the water board have or had with the developers are not your problem, the water board are responsible for those pipes and can grant or deny buildover on technical grounds only as far as i know.
Find your water boards complaints procedure and use it. If you get bounced then go to OFWAT.
 
Unless you are the very last property at the head of the drain then I suspect the drain is also serving other properties, this is perfectly normal on new builds and most relatively modern housing estates and precisely what I would expect. Until a few years ago these drains would have been private and the responsibility of the property owners, responsibility being divided proportionally between the properties serving each section of drainage. This all changed a few years ago so that these drains are now classed as public sewers, this includes any (largely unplotted) existing ones. To build over requires permission from the water co, the only statutory consultation required is by the Building Control Body, at the time the app is submitted or you engage a private inspector.
To be fair I don't know what the procedure is between the developer and water co on new builds in "handing over" these drains.
Personally I'd just go ahead with the B reg app and let B control carry out the statutory consultation, then the water co will be compelled to deal with it.
 
Personally I'd just go ahead with the B reg app and let B control carry out the statutory consultation, then the water co will be compelled to deal with it.
But when he submits his Build Over to Thames Water BC won't be involved in that dialogue, that will be between the applicant (or his agent) and the water company.
 
This all changed a few years ago so that these drains are now classed as public sewers, this includes any (largely unplotted) existing ones.

2011 seems a little more than a few years ago to me :confused:

But when he submits his Build Over to Thames Water BC won't be involved in that dialogue, that will be between the applicant (or his agent) and the water company.

This! And that is assuming TW are the OP’s water company.

Personally I'd just go ahead with the B reg app and let B control carry out the statutory consultation, then the water co will be compelled to deal with it.

For Building Control to consult TW or any other water company, that would require a BR application to have been submitted (and that’s assuming the proposal would require BR’s). The proposal may also require PP so before even thinking about BOA’s, the OP may need to go through two approval processes. All would be a waste of time and money if the developer and water company would not agree from the outset so is worth making those initial enquiries now.
 
2011 seems a little more than a few years ago to me :confused:



This! And that is assuming TW are the OP’s water company.



For Building Control to consult TW or any other water company, that would require a BR application to have been submitted (and that’s assuming the proposal would require BR’s). The proposal may also require PP so before even thinking about BOA’s, the OP may need to go through two approval processes. All would be a waste of time and money if the developer and water company would not agree from the outset so is worth making those initial enquiries now.
B regs have been around since 1666, I've been doing the job for 40 years, 9 years ago isn't that long.
From experience its highly unlikely the build over will be refused, most likely it will be referred back to B control to deal with under H4. In fact, since this legislation changed I've not known one be refused, the vast majority of these only come to light when the job is in progress as everyone submits BN's these days and plan drawers don't want to do B Regs or ebven bother lifting covers to investigate, thats the reality.
 
As Yet we have not paid for building regulations as we are waiting for the developers and water company to give Permission to proceed. Our sewer search was £198.
 
You may well get stuck in a loop between water board & developers. If you're in a position to chuck a building notice in then yes there's a fee but (as i understand it) building control then get involved with the water board, water board won't be able to fob them off quite so easily
 
You may well get stuck in a loop between water board & developers. If you're in a position to chuck a building notice in then yes there's a fee but (as i understand it) building control then get involved with the water board, water board won't be able to fob them off quite so easily
Isn't that what I already said?
 

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