Back and front of our project home

Planning Approved...Kind of

so today we got our planning granted for the next project....Kind of...

We can have our new windows... but they have to be single glazed (WHAT??!! who uses single glazed windows??) and Painted (WHAT??!! Why painted nice wooden windows, rubbish!). Perhaps over reacting a little as further written requests could allow us to install double glazing... but the sense in it all has seemed to have dissipated surprisingly early in proceedings.

I have however learnt about French Drains... like a French Kiss, only quite a lot different. More about this in the future I'm sure.

Anyway, for those interested here is what the planning consent said...

In accordance with the plan(s) and applications submitted to the Council on

30 Apr 2008, subject to the condition(s) specified hereunder:-

1. The development shall be begun not later than the expiration of three years beginning with the date on which permission is granted.

2. The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in complete accordance with the approved plans and specifications except as may be required by other conditions.

3. All windows shall be timber fixed or side hung casements. Mouldings and timber sections shall be of a traditional design and profile. Details shall be agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority before development commences.

4. All windows shall be single glazed unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

5. The render shall harmonise with local natural stone, the mix, finish and colour shall be agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority before development commences. A method statement for the removal of the existing render will also be required prior to development commencing.

6. All external joinery shall have a painted finish.

7. The rear door shall be of a timber vertical boarded construction. Details to be agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority before development commences.

8. Notwithstanding the submitted drawings and specifications, the removal of the stone step is not approved. A method and details of creating a French drain without the need to remove the stone step shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority before development commences.

So there it is. This being our first planning consent thingy, I am slightly suprised at the specifics they request. Wait until the big project is revealed in Autumn 2008! Lots of nit picking there I am sure.

The thing that annoys me most about this 'successful' planning approval is the fact it is going to take still longer before I can contact the joiner, to make the windows. What was meant to be a summer project I can quickly see stretching out to October/November. We certainly have a rush on to get the Lime rendering on the walls before cold wet weather hits though, as lime render won't cure correctly if conditions are too damp... it simply doesn't dry! Not good when facing a Huddersfield Winter. Another lesson learnt. Get your finger out very early when it comes to listed building consent.

So next step is to write back to the kind folk of Kirklees planning with an action plan for render removal, window glazing and french drains....

The story so far

A Shakespearean tragedy? Hope Not.

So... on the 1st May 2007 we (me and Mrs wise man who built his house on solid ground) got the keys to our first house... a 400 year old grade 2 listed cottage in Huddersfield... which needs a lot of work.

So work commenced on the first day by ripping out the Bathroom including ceilings walls and floors and starting again. Much help from Pops Ward and Pops Evans and notable thanks to Si G for a plumbing masterclass meant by the time we moved in 4 weeks later we had a bath and a toilet... and not much else.

Any hoo... over the year we plodded away with notable landmarks along the way...The day the sink was installed, a tiled floor, an installed radiator, a shower (a special day) and 9 month sinto the project a bathroom door!

Any hoo. a year and almost 2 months on the bathroom is as good as done. Just need to finish a patch of grouting and clean up some mess. Hurrahh. Just got to motivate myself. I feel the lack of time pressure to get the project finished was not a good thing!

So here we are today. readying ourselves to start the next project... although with the pitter patter of small feet in the house things could get interesting! By that I mean we are taking in a lodger who is quite wee in her pint size proportions. Miss Cole... welcome to the adventure...

Oh... and did I mention I had never done a spot of DIY before buying this house...

is that water I can hear dripping...

Here are some pics of the bathroom in it's destruction phase. I'll post some finished pictures soon