Building a workshop for me build...

[Mark (smokey mow)]

Lorks!

I eventually got through to the right person at severn Trent water and it turns out I will need to pay for a 'build over agreement' at a cost of at least £300.

Is this correct?

W210.

If there is a public sewer shown on thier maps to be within 3m of where you will be excavating foundations for the garage then yes you will need a build over agreement.  If it is over 3m away then you don't need to.  

The biggest problem is that the tollerance on their mapping can be +/- 2 metres or more so to be sure of how close you're going to be the only way is to find the location of the manhole covers shown on their maps and see how far out they are from the position shown.  If on the ground they're in exactly the right spot as shown on the map then that proves the map is accurate, but if you find them out of position then that'll prove you're either closer or further away from the sewer in question.

Of course it may also be easier to move the garage by a couple of metres to miss it and save yourself a lot of bother.

[Captain Colonial]

Late to the discussion, but once you have all the facts and decide you can go ahead, before you do one thing, have the neighbours around for a drink and discuss things.  Show them the car, tell them you want to build a garage or shed to shield them from noise because you value them as neighbours, and get them fully on board instead of presenting it as a fait accompli and making them upset. Work with them, and bear in mind that protecting them from the noise of car building while entail exposing them to the noise of garage or shed building!  Look at it from their point of view first and foremost, and communicate.

[W210]

£36 for water and sewer plans which I still think is a bit of a cheek but at least I can actually see where stuff is.

Actually, I can see that the sewer man-hole cover WILL be within 3M of the build...not a big garden.

I have a perfectly good garage but unfortunately my house is link-detatched so I am not prepared to build a car and create noise that my next door neighbours will hear in their lounge...I'm going to all this extra expense and trouble because I like them.

I also work shifts so know about bashing and grinding and would only make noise at about 3pm to 5-6pm but that would not be at all often.

Just think 300 snotters is very high for an agreement...

W210.

[Mark (smokey mow)]

Just think 300 snotters is very high for an agreement...

Totally agree, and it's hardly suprising there's a lot of people that don't get the necessary consent.  The problem is that it's a very important piece of paper for the solicitors if you ever sell and move or if a problem develops with the sewer.

The troble is that the expense wont end with the £300 for the agreement.  The water undertaker will require reassurance that the building works wont impose any excessive loading on their drain, the usual way to achieve this is to excavate the buildings foundations deeper than the depth of the pipe.  Not too much of a problem if it's shallow, but it may well be an aweful lot deeper than that.

From experience I would say that the building of a new westfield creates very little noise other than the occasional swear word.  You wont need the grinder at all and even the hammer only gets occasional use.  The loudest tool i used was a hand drill and dremmel.  IMO I'd suggest sticking a small shed in the garden to store the parts of the kit you don't need straight away and maybe use this as a workshop if you need to.  I'd then consider lining the walls of the garage with a quality sound absorbsion material such as coustifoam, this will make a noticable difference allow you to build the car in the garage and should keep your neighbours very happy

[W210]

That's good info, ta.

The garage would be basically a big shed...building it from timber and ship-lap with a wriggley-tin roof...don't even plan anything more substantial for the floor other than well levelled flag stones...I have half a mind to just build it and deal with any comebacks later on and then just take it down and build ye Westie in me garage.

Don't envisage any negs from my next door neighbour as the shed/garage is concerned.

Thanks for all the info.

W210.

[StuartMackay]

Got one of these in my back garden with no PP or building control required

4.7 m x 5.7 m one    

Deffinitely loads of room to swing a cat