Pottering at Potton

Took a trip to the Potton showhomes yesterday in Little Paxton.  In retrospect, not entirely sure why.  Potton's design are so flexible that none of the three homes are what we'd end up with, so there's little point looking  around at room sizes and configurations - that's all up for grabs.  Also, the three were all built in the 1990s and have dated horribly in places.  Thirdly, it wasn't just the cosmetic look that had dated - the technology has since moved on and Potton can design out vertical supports which pop up, off-puttingly, in the middle of bathrooms. 

Given what Potton are good at - the timber frame - is hidden under the surface, what I was really interested in was almost entirely plastered over.

I suppose one thing I gleaned was that the internal walls sounded horribly hollow.  But any construction method would leave you trying to fix a shelf into plasterboard these days, not just timber frame.  I suppose you could fix 12mm marine ply to the studwork where you know you're going to be putting things up on the wall. 

Oh, and they couldn't be arsed to offer us a cup of coffee.

Assume the (negotiating) position

Had our meeting with Knott last week (I think at least six months of an architect's training must be taken up studying how to dress), for no charge, which was very generous of him given he knows that if we go down the 'head' route of trying to extract maximum revenue from the site we'll do our own plans, whereas only the 'heart' route of putting what we would want to live in on the site may involve him.

On the back of it a revised pre-application pack was delivered to the Council yesterday with plans for two 5-bed houses on the site, and no mention of a single dwelling.  This was based on his advice of a) maximise the massing on the site so in negotiation the Council can fall back to a position that we would still be happy with, i.e. the two 4-beds that we're looking for and b) don't show them a second plan which they may be happier with (i.e. the single dwelling) as it may make them more likely to reject the two-dwelling option.

But we also discussed whether one planning application prejudices another (regardless of whether it should) and the conclusion was no, each would be judged on its merits.  So we could put a plan in for two houses and the outcome shouldn't be affected at the official stage by the existence of a coincidental planning application for a single dwelling.

Bit of a contradiction there.  Will keep you posted...

Pre- pre-application pack

Rather sad day on Monday when the last remaining items - furniture, pictures, knick-knacks, just general things & stuff, but things and stuff that I'd grown up with - were cleared from the family home. 

On the way there I dropped off a package of papers at Knott's architecural practice (very impressive, therefore can we afford him?) with drawings of the one 5-bed and the two 4-bed detached options to test his views on testing the Council's views on size, footprint, position, glazing, access & turning areas (rather than particular designs or details).  Hopefully line up a meeting in the next couple of weeks or so.

Tippex time

The numbers seem to be heading in two directions: a) two four-bed detached houses on the site; or b) one five-bed making best use of the garden and kicking innumerable access and utility issues into the long grass. Advice from agent has stymied building lots of smaller units, which I have regrets over given the unaffordability of property and the prevalence of young people being forced to move out of villages where they'd prefer to live but, hey, that's capitalism for you.  There are also innumerable tax implications, both IHT and CGT, influencing the decision which is outside the scope of this blog (polite way of saying none of your business), so forgive me if the final decision may not make the most sense from an external perspective.

The 5-bed is the strategy if we end up living in it in which case we'll probably either ask Knott to design something, or may go down the Potton route. Meanwhile, I'm working with a rollerball, photocopier and tippex to sketch out a couple of four-bed houses on the site plan to take to the Council for a pre-application meeting.  All highly professional, honest.

Don't like spending money

Is it normal to be able to pinch your nose and for air to come out of your eye socket?  Or is it just me?

Anyway, back from hols and, whilst we were away, our appointed surveyor, David R Davies (www.davidrdaviesbedford.co.uk) appears to have done an excellent job producing 1:100 scale site plans with everything I'd expected/hoped for like trees and the height of next door's roof as well as levels.  Slightly inconveniently doesn't quite fit on an A1 sheet but that's our fault for having such a long site, not his.

Soft and hard copies in the post together, I fear, with an invoice.

Don't mind spending that - money well spent - but hoped to filch a 1:1250 scale site plan from the internet for free.  However, have coughed up £20-ish for a kosher, licensed copy so nobody need shout about copyright infringement.  Ho hum.