Still waiting

Wow, September was my last blog. Unforgivable.

So what's happened? Well.. not much

We had a big fire on 5 November...

Thanks Patty for that video :-)

..then, finding we STILL don't have planning permission, we moved the graveyard garden onward a few notches...

Roughly 100 shrubs planted in, luckily before the oncoming deep frosts. Most of them will be moved later, just need to keep them alive for now, they weren't cheap.

That's it I'm afraid. Mostly a picture post, but we really are close to getting the planning permission, so I promise more interesting stuff soon.

Valid

We're validated. As in our planning application has, after weeks and weeks of silly shenanigans, been deemed valid.

That means our application for planning permission will now be assessed. There's now a consultation period which lasts until 11 October, where lots of important people look at the application and try to find a way to reject it. That's the way I see it anyway.

Hopefully it will be accepted on 11 October and we can get on with building a house.

More later, taters xx

Hops

So we went and did a bit of gardening today - letting it all go back to the wild helps nobody. Bit of weeding on the south side, where the trees are thin and weeds can thrive if you let um.

Wasn't all work though..

Lyn spent some time planning where the meadow grass will be sown:

The golden mulch is actually spent hops from the local brewery Torrside Brewing

I stood around taking photos for a bit.

Don't have any more news of planning yet I'm afraid, it will be ages until they answer our answer to the planning refusal. Slowly, slowly...

Blazing

Just had our planning application refused, with four reasons detailed. None of the reasons are actually relevant to our application. 

Utter cut & paste nonsense.

I know there's a staffing problem as in so many places now, which means everyone is overworked. However, the person that did this to us must realise the effect it has. How long would it take to double check the letter?

To say the least, we're angry at the planning office.

I'll say no more, for fear of regretting it.

Plan B Planning Application

Title of this post says it all really. But I'll blather on anyway.

Today our people have sent in planning application details for Plan B - the timber framed house in which we hope to laugh out our dotage.

Opinions vary on how long this will take - from 21 days if the public consultation is all that's required, to infinity and beyond if there are any objections. We're as confident as we can be that we've given enough information in enough detail, having engaged a planning consultant to work alongside our architect this time. Also the external part is virtually the same as our (eventually) successful application for Plan A.

Thanks to Caroline at Emery Planning and, as ever, Jeremy at Poulter Architect for your help.

More when I get it.

This and that

So plan B is taking shape.

As described in my last post, the house will be timber-framed and will sit inside the Chapel walls. For that reason, the cladding upon it is only of interest to me and the Mrs. But I'm talking about it anyway.

Here are some samples:

We've chosen the one on the left, as it goes well with the chapel walls. It will also be broken up by occasional panels of burnt larch, which is black and shiny. Window frames will be dark grey. Jeremy (the architect) sent us this mock-up of what you'll see from outside:

We're very close to putting in our new planning application, watch this space.

How Much?

Well, how poor am I, at keeping this site updated?

Firstly, the matter of will we/won't we build it: sort of.

The QS report finally arrived last week, to a chorus of "Jeez that's a lot". It didn't take us long to realise that even cutting every corner, we just don't have that much money, or even the ability to borrow it. Inflation, transport costs, material costs, the war in Ukraine, all have contributed to the tripling of the cost for build. I don't really do regrets, but if I did, I would wish we'd been able to complete the project in 2020. Chalk up one more victory to the gods of red tape.

Many plans B were then discussed:

• Leave it until the prices drop
• Put a caravan on it and live cheap
• Use it as an outdoor popup venue
• Sell it

All were rejected except the one obvious choice: build a timber framed house inside the chapel walls, and make whatever repairs are needed to preserve those walls, to stop them deteriorating any further. We get to keep the site and live in a fantastic place, and possibly without going into debt to achieve it.

This means we're at the very beginning of another planning application. Plans for the grounds and the basic structure of the place haven't changed - we will still open the graveyard as a woodland walk, we'll still use part of the property to run community events, gigs, weddings etc - these will now happen in the old Sunday school grounds at the west end of the site, instead of inside the old chapel walls.

For the house, we're thinking 3 bedrooms, with a flat roof, maybe even a green roof. This won't be higher than the chapel walls, so the site will lose none of its beauty. Here are a couple of line drawings done by the wonderful Jeremy at Poulter Architects:

There will be a good sized gap between the house and the walls, allowing for a nice cloistered area for decking, bits of garden etc.

The temporary steel structure which currently holds up the front wall will have to be replaced with something more pleasing to the eye (and permanent) which allows us to use the front entrance. Over to the structural engineer for that. The temporary structure cost £20,000, so we're a bit concerned about the next bill.

Our hard-won access road, which we still haven't built due to doubts about planning conditions, will have to go on hold until the new planning application is complete. We'll be contacting the Town Council, who lease us the land, for permission to halt the lease payments for that period. We really need to save now, and £360 per month on a field we don't use is hard to sustain.

Estimates vary on how long planning will take, but best guess is six months.