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Asbestos Condition Approved
After a three-month wait, our planning condition for asbestos removal has finally been approved! 🎉 We faced some delays initially because our previous asbestos company let us down by not providing the necessary reports. Thankfully, Colchester Asbestos Services stepped in and quickly supplied everything we needed. The previous company had given us a competitive quote,…
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New Build Planning Approved
Amazingly our planning application has been approved! As previously mentioned, we have to pay the Section 106 payment, but I have made my peace with it as the overall build cost will be massively reduced going from a renovation to a new build. 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳
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Section 106 & CIL 💰
Good news and bad news. The bad news is that Colchester planning requires a “Section 106” to be agreed to be paid for the planning application to proceed. This is a levy that all councils require for payment, but most refer to it as the Community and Infrastructure Levy (CIL) which has a specific and…
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New Build Application
Following the successful approval of our Class-Q application, we decided it would be worth attempting a new build application. Achieving the Class-Q approval was a significant milestone, but the associated costs and complexity of renovating the barn present considerable challenges. The barn’s low height means we will have to dig down three to four feet,…
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Class-Q Application Approved
Absolutely thrilling news! Our application has finally been approved, and we’ve been granted permission to transform our barn into a charming countryside dwelling. Imagine the possibilities—the rustic beams, the vaulted ceilings, and the glorious open spaces. Soon, we’ll have the unique blend of historic character and modern comfort right at our fingertips. This barn conversion…
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Class-Q Application
Following the pre-application advice from Colchester planning we were unsure which direction to take. I consulted several architects for their advice on what could be done. National policy essentially rules out new residential development in rural areas (see below). There are exceptions, but the only one we might be eligible for would be a design…
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Pre-application Advice
Recently, we took the plunge and applied to Colchester planning for some advice, hoping to test the waters with our concept of a simply designed pre-fab house. The land in question is a lovely plot we’re planning to buy from some friends of ours. Now, neither of us can boast any construction experience—our DIY prowess…