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3D Renders
Having seen many people recommend SketchUp for building renders of their plans, I signed up for a free trial and set about learning how to use it over the weekend. It has been a challenge but I managed to get some reasonable representations of the plans. It has been fun to work with the traditional…
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Section 106 & CIL š°
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 possibilitiesāthe 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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Land Officially Purchased
After a month or two of back and forth with the lawyers with surveys and covenant agreements, we finally closed on the land purchase! We will be eternally grateful for the generous price for which we have been able to buy the land. This is the first big cost and the first financial risk of…
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Green Clearance
A tremendous amount of effort has gone into the initial stages of clearing the site. While preserving nature is paramount, we had to cut back extensive brambles and bushes to access the barn and facilitate future maintenance. The fact that we were unaware of the barn’s existence when submitting our Pre-app plan highlights just how…
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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 weāre planning to buy from some friends of ours. Now, neither of us can boast any construction experienceāour DIY prowess…
