When a building site is causing disruption; what can you do?

[andytheflyer]

@PaulB .

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/the-coal-authority

You can check the site on various maps etc to see if it might have been affected - but just because there's coal underneath does not mean that the site is at risk. But you said that there was a shaft nearby so I'd be expecting that the site needs a coat of looking at.

The British Geological Survey have a really good on-line search facility now: http://mapapps2.bgs.ac.uk/coalauthority/home.html

You can quickly (even as a layman) find out a lot about the coal mining heritage at the site.

 

[andytheflyer]

@PaulB

Forgot - new houses come with a 2 year warranty - often provided by the National House Building Council (NHBC). NHBC are an insurance company. Houses have to be built to meet various regulations (The Building Regs). The check to make sure they do can be by the local authority, or by NHBC.

NHBC will only provide a warranty if the structure meets their standards (as laid down in the very large NHBC Manual for Housebuilders - I used to have this under my pillow at night (in my mind anyway....!)). The NHBC Manual also requires the coal situation to have been evaluated, assessed by a competent person (as done by my industry) and deemed sufficiently stable as to support a house and services without adverse subsidence effects.

If the paperwork does not show that the houses meet the Building Regs, then they wont get the warranty, and they will be unsaleable because the mortgage companies won't lend against them. Not sure what happens if you are a cash buyer. I think the Law Society conveyancing checklist will also catch any house sale without a CA report.

So, no clearance from the CA, no Building Regs approval, and no warranty = no sale. Which also = a failed development.

 

[summerdays]

The ones that were thrown up near where I lived were sold and then soon after the cracks appeared and they had to start repairing some of them.... I wouldn't trust that warranty.

 

[raleighnut]

[QUOTE 4026922, member: 9609"]There is as national housing shortage, and on top of that we have a few hundred thousand refugees on the way from Syria and other countries, then we need to consider future migration due to climate change - we're going to have to become a whole lot less selfish about where we live and be more encouraging to new housing.[/QUOTE]
Fully agree, Gruinard Island would be a great place to start off.

 

[summerdays]

[QUOTE 4026922, member: 9609"]There is as national housing shortage, and on top of that we have a few hundred thousand refugees on the way from Syria and other countries, then we need to consider future migration due to climate change - we're going to have to become a whole lot less selfish about where we live and be more encouraging to new housing.[/QUOTE]
It isn't just about whether there should be housing but what happens to the existing people who already live nearby when a development occurs... I had 5 years+ of stress, dust, damage to the car because of potholes, problems with utilities being cut off for a week plus at times. And the quality of the stuff that was thrown up wasn't brilliant!

 

[PaulB]

[QUOTE 4026922, member: 9609"]There is as national housing shortage, and on top of that we have a few hundred thousand refugees on the way from Syria and other countries, then we need to consider future migration due to climate change - we're going to have to become a whole lot less selfish about where we live and be more encouraging to new housing.[/QUOTE]
There isn't a housing shortage here. Quite the opposite as there are 20,000 vacant properties in this borough. Why would a company want to build more here? On top of which, stamp duty was drastically increased in this week's budget meaning the houses they are planning to build will cost an additional £3-6,000. This in an area of traditional low incomes so now they've got permission, watch the design of the proposed homes change, and I reckon they'll change drastically too.

 

[ColinJ]

There isn't a housing shortage here. Quite the opposite as there are 20,000 vacant properties in this borough. Why would a company want to build more here?

George Clarke agrees with you, and so do I!

 

[Chromatic]

[QUOTE 4026922, member: 9609"]There is as national housing shortage, and on top of that we have a few hundred thousand refugees on the way from Syria and other countries, then we need to consider future migration due to climate change - we're going to have to become a whole lot less selfish about where we live and be more encouraging to new housing.[/QUOTE]

This less selfish attitude you advocate, does it extend to someone who buys a Porsche if they want to?

 

[subaqua]

@PaulB

Forgot - new houses come with a 2 year warranty - often provided by the National House Building Council (NHBC). NHBC are an insurance company. Houses have to be built to meet various regulations (The Building Regs). The check to make sure they do can be by the local authority, or by NHBC.

NHBC will only provide a warranty if the structure meets their standards (as laid down in the very large NHBC Manual for Housebuilders - I used to have this under my pillow at night (in my mind anyway....!)). The NHBC Manual also requires the coal situation to have been evaluated, assessed by a competent person (as done by my industry) and deemed sufficiently stable as to support a house and services without adverse subsidence effects.

If the paperwork does not show that the houses meet the Building Regs, then they wont get the warranty, and they will be unsaleable because the mortgage companies won't lend against them. Not sure what happens if you are a cash buyer. I think the Law Society conveyancing checklist will also catch any house sale without a CA report.

So, no clearance from the CA, no Building Regs approval, and no warranty = no sale. Which also = a failed development.

NHBC is a 10 year warranty. Building regs compliance is the law regardless of NHBC involvement . LABC may still be the statutory authority for compliance with the NHBC just providing the 3rd party assurances.

Don't rely on the NHBC , even though they do do a good job.