Why should we bother with Renewable Energy?

If you are hoping that in the future fuel costs will reach a peak and then start to reduce then I am afraid you are going to be bitterly disappointed. There may well be short term reductions, however it is inevitable that fuel costs will not only continue to rise, but rise significantly

Source: Business Standard

There is no shortage of media coverage in respect of the impact of global warming, climate change, energy conservation, sustainability, greenhouse gas emissions and so on........ Our understanding and concern about these issues will vary significantly from those who have a genuine concern about protecting the planet for future generations to those who’s work may be directly related to these issues, right through to those who know very little and even those who make a conscious choice to ignore them!  The problem however is that even if you are one of those who fall into the latter categories, it does not change the fact that you will be affected in exactly the same way as everyone else.  This is no more starkly demonstrated than in the increased cost of energy over recent years, which have soared to record levels.

Over the last two hundred years we have become dependent on fossil fuels such as gas, oil and coal, which has allowed us to develop our world at a staggering pace.  All of this development in terms of infrastructure, buildings and the like require large amount of energy, to heat, cool, ventilate, provide light and power etc.  If we are to maintain, or more likely increase the rate of development around the world then we also need to consider alternative ways of creating this energy. The problem with fossil fuels is that they are a depleting resource and at some point, in the future it will run out.  Now this is unlikely to happen in our generation or indeed generations in the foreseeable future, but one thing is for certain in that at some point, however far in the future, fossil fuels will become incredibly scarce and are likely to run out.  If you are under the impression that we should not be concerned about this now, as it will not have any major impact on us in our lifetime then think again!

Source: Daily Record

The problem with anything that is in short supply is that basic economical principles come into play.  Fossil fuels are a prime example of this. Remember they are a depleting resource and therefore a commodity in short supply.  The impact of this is that when demand is high (which it always is) and supply is limited (which it is), then market conditions allow energy providers to increase costs as they know that they are providing something that people actually need. The market then adjusts to these increased costs. The Guardian (November 2017) reports; ‘Gas and electricity companies have been the biggest culprits for raising prices over the past 20 years, according to an analysis published just a day after utility giant’s SSE and npower revealed plans for a mega-merger – prompting fears of yet more price rises. The research found that the cost of utilities has risen at triple the rate of inflation over the past two decades. The average rise in prices for a basket of goods between 1997 and 2016 was 50.7%, but utility bills went up by 139% – far outstripping the average 78% rise in weekly household income, which has gone up from £316 to £562 over the period’ (Link).

If you are hoping that in the future fuel costs will reach a peak and then start to reduce then I am afraid you are going to be bitterly disappointed. There may well be occasional short term reductions, however due to the economical principles described above it is inevitable that fuel cost will not only continue to rise, but rise significantly. Of course, the majority of articles that you will see in the media focus on the damage to the environment caused by greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon, from the burning of fossil fuels. This is something that we need to deal with immediately, however I would suggest that if you were to talk to most people on the high street they would be more concerned about the increase in fuel costs rather than the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The positive thing however, is that if we can create energy by using alternative renewable technologies then we can deal with both issues at the same time!

In future articles I will focus on the use of renewable technologies as a way of impacting on greenhouse gas emissions, however for the remainder of this article I will continue to demonstrate the financial effect of creating and using energy from fossil fuels, which is happening and impacting on us all right now!  The Committee on Fuel Poverty annual Report – October 2017 (Link), in its Executive Summary states; ‘The Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Fuel Poverty Statistics published in 2017 report the number of households in fuel poverty has increased from 2.38 million in 2014 to 2.50 million in 2015 (the statistics provide data on a two-year time lag). The average fuel poverty gap (this is the average additional amount that fuel-poor households need to spend to meet their energy needs, compared to the national median spend) has only fallen £18 per year from £371 to £353’.  The reference to fuel poverty is defined by Poverty.org.uk (Link) as: ‘Households are considered by the Government to be in 'fuel poverty' if they would have to spend more than 10% of their household income on fuel to keep their home in a 'satisfactory' condition. It is thus a measure which compares income with what the fuel costs 'should be' rather than what they actually are.  Whether a household is in fuel poverty or not is determined by the interaction of a number of factors, but the three obvious ones are: The cost of energy, the energy efficiency of the property (and therefore, the energy required to heat and power the home) and Household income’.

It is abundantly clear that many in the UK are continuing to suffer financial hardship as a result of increasing energy costs, and unless we can find alternative ways of creating and conserving our energy, then this situation is likely to become even more critical. Increased demand for a depleting resource is a recipe for disaster. We therefore have to introduce alternatives, which is now a necessity not a choice. If you are in one of those categories described at the beginning of this article who have not really paid much attention to global issues, perhaps it is now time to think very carefully about how you individually, and all of us collectively can save energy as well as also being open to consider retrofitting of  new renewable technologies. This will not only provide benefits from a financial viewpoint, which may not be immediate (although costs associated with enhancements is an article in its own right!), but also from an environmental viewpoint, where we can start to have a real impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

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Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice.

Climate Change and Energy Efficiency – The Challenge of Tackling Older Buildings

Whether you have your own political views or are sceptical about government policy and initiatives it is important to embrace them as we only have the possibility of making a difference, if we are prepared ‘to give it a go’, after all, we have to start somewhere

Source: Source: http://www.cjhole.co.uk/news.html

Are you aware of the significant impact of climate change on our planet?  Are you aware of the major influence that those working in the built environment, could have in dealing with this very serious issue? Or, like many do you really care at all?  We are already experiencing the impact of climate change as a result of the way that we have used our planet to a point where many of these changes are now irreversible. The issue now is how we slow down the process and try to protect the environment for future generations. The Environment Agency website (Link), emphasises the human impact on our climate, and portray some very stark and worrying facts:

‘There is a scientific consensus that the recent observed rise in global temperature can only be explained by the rise in greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activities.

Since the industrial revolution, human activity, mostly the burning of fossil fuels, has resulted in the release of large amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This is enhancing the greenhouse effect and pushing up global temperatures.

Average global temperatures have already risen approximately one degree Celsius since pre-industrial levels, and even if we could stop emitting all greenhouse gases tomorrow, they would continue to rise by at least a further 0.6 degrees. Limiting temperature rise to below two degrees is the internationally agreed target to avert dangerous climate change.

There are clear signs that our world is warming. We’ve had markedly higher global average temperatures over the last decade, ice sheets and glaciers are melting and average river water temperatures are increasing. Globally, the hottest ten years on record have all been since 1990, and February 2010 was warmest on record for southern hemisphere’

Source: http://www.zmescience.com/ecology/environmental-issues

It is therefore clear that action is needed now and whether we like it or not, we must all play our part. Much of this action is actually imposed on us through legislation such as Building Regulations and other initiatives such Code for Sustainable Homes, BREEAM etc. which are primarily voluntary (although funding requirements may in effect make these mandatory). This is fine if we are dealing with new buildings, but how do we deal with the existing varied and largely energy inefficient building stock we have in the UK?  These are the types of buildings that waste a great deal of energy through older inefficient elements and therefore readily lose heat through the building fabric, requiring additional heating and therefore more energy to try to achieve acceptable internal temperatures.  If we make our buildings more thermally efficient, this heat energy is retained longer in the building, therefore reducing the amount of additional heating we need and subsequently reduces our reliance on fossil fuels.

According to BBC News (2006), ‘Transport consistently grabs the headlines on climate change emissions but buildings pour out about half of the UK's CO2 - 30% from homes, 20% from commercial buildings’.  The Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) completed an assessment of a variety of impacts of various sectors may need to prepare, which included the Built Environment: ‘The UK’s built environment includes: 27 million homes, commercial and industrial properties, hospitals, schools, other buildings and the wider urban environment. At the current replacement rate, around 70% of buildings that will be in use in the 2050's already exist. It is clear therefore that those working in the built environment have the opportunity of influencing the impact of climate change in all sectors including both new build and existing buildings. This has also been emphasised by the UK government’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% (from the 1990 baseline) by 2050 under the Climate Change Act 2008. In order to achieve this it is necessary to significantly reduce our reliance on depleting resources such as fossil fuels (which emit high quantities of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon) and consider the use of more energy efficient and low carbon ways of creating energy (renewable technologies), making our buildings more thermally efficient in addition to educating people to operate and use buildings more efficiently. This is fundamental to achieving a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and necessary if we are to stand any chance of meeting our targets.

The government have set a strategy with the objective of achieving the targets set within the Climate Change Act 2008 (Link). Whether you have your own political views or are sceptical about government policy and initiatives it is important to embrace these policies as we only have the possibility of making a difference, if we are prepared ‘to give it a go’, after all, we have to start somewhere.  It is ok to be sceptical, however until policies and initiatives are introduced and tested we have no way of knowing whether they will work or not. I along with many others raised issues with the now demised Green Deal, however I have also gone onto state that I think in principle Green Deal was a good idea undoubtedly needed some re-adjustment to make it more effective. The important thing here is that the UK government decided to tackle poor energy efficiency in existing buildings. However, trying to encourage people to incorporate energy efficient measures and renewable technologies into their buildings is always going to be difficult for a number of reasons.  

The Green Deal worked on the basis of a low interest loan which is added to fuel bills, for energy efficient enhancements which were recommended by a Green Deal Assessor. The ‘golden rule’ then assumed that the repayments on the loan would not exceed the savings made on the energy bills, therefore the bill payer/s should not notice any difference in the amount they were are paying each month. 

There is also constructional detailing issues in respect of retrofitting existing and occupied buildings to increase thermal efficiency and also issues in respect of introducing and installing renewable technologies. Once installation of enhancements has been completed it is also necessary to ‘educate’ occupiers to help them to understand how to use them.  It is pointless increasing thermal efficiency and installing new technologies into a building if the occupier continues to waste energy because they don’t understand how to use the system correctly.  Again, this emphasises the need for a holistic approach to dealing with energy efficiency in existing buildings rather than concentrating on the technologies alone.  This is a tough nut to crack with no easy solutions. It will be interesting to see what the government come up with next when trying to tackle energy efficiency in existing buildings.

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Energy efficiency in residential dwellings

One in every five UK households are currently in fuel poverty. Coupled with the fact that energy providers are continually raising their prices, this issue is becoming increasingly prominent; the basic necessity of keeping warm can no longer be taken for granted. It is estimated that a minimum of 5.5 million people within the UK are living in houses that are inadequately heated

Source: www.eco-uk.co.uk

Fuel poverty occurs when a household spends 10% or more of its income on fuel; figures show that one in every five UK households are currently in fuel poverty. Coupled with the fact that energy providers are continually raising their prices, this issue is becoming increasingly prominent; the basic necessity of keeping warm can no longer be taken for granted. It is estimated that a minimum of 5.5 million people within the UK are living in houses that are inadequately heated due to self-rationing, made necessary by insufficient funds (The Guardian 2011). Modern new build properties benefit from legislation such as Part L of the Building Regulations, which ensure that construction is adequately insulated. Efficient methods of heating property are also being implemented more regularly; this however, provides no relief for the millions of people living within existing housing stock. 

While there are ways in which home-owners can improve thermal efficiency, methods often require financial investment (sometimes substantial), and exhibit long payback periods. Improving thermal efficiency, using external wall insulation for example, can result in payback periods of 12 years and cost as much as £65 per square metre (Oxford Solar n.d.). This can mean that while people may want to improve their homes, the same financial concerns which mean they are subjected to cold living conditions, prevent steps being taken to make improvements.  In addition to financial benefits, increasing efficiency will also result in fewer carbon emissions. The Climate Change Act 2008 has made the UK the only Country which has introduced a legally binding framework intended to address climate change by reducing emissions by at least 80% by 2050, when compared to the levels seen in 1990 (Committee on Climate Change n.d). Ensuring that existing homes are used efficiently is a cost effective way of contributing towards this target. The former coalition government saw Green Deal as a vehicle for meeting these targets; however Green Deal did not have the effect that the government had hoped. 

A Thermostatic Radiator Valve (TRV) - Source: abodesolutions.com

Daniel Coghlan, a recent graduate of mine at Coventry University, considered energy efficiency in residential dwellings as part of his final year dissertation, and undertook some very interesting research. The purpose of the research was to ascertain whether heating costs could be reduced by using an existing heating system more efficiently. If this was possible then this would allow savings to be made with little or no financial investment. The research involved taking meter readings in a selected residential property both before and after alterations were made to the use and set-up of the heating system. The usage during both periods was then compared to ascertain whether the alterations that were made have affected the efficiency of the central heating system, and if they have, to what extent.  The property selected was a detached 1970’s house with insulated cavity walls. The heating system comprised of a condensing combination boiler which fed a wet radiator array; heat was controlled using a programmer integral to the boiler, a central room thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves on each of the radiators.

A meter reading was taken on the 1st October 2011 and one was obtained from the resident for the 1st September 2011. The resident at the property was then left to utilise the heating system as they normally would; repeat readings were taken at the first of each month for a total period of 3 months, ending on 01st December 2012. The purpose of this was to ascertain energy usage over a set period of time prior to any system alterations. Following this, alterations were made to the system. These alterations included:

       1. Bleed radiators to remove trapped air
       2. Balance System
       3. Discuss room use and set TRVs accordingly
       4. Reduce temperature of system slightly
       5. Remove restrictions surrounding TRVs
       6. Set a programme timer suitable for general daily use
       
The results from the case study showed that alterations made to the set-up and use of the central heating system within the property resulted in a reduction of 18% in energy usage. It is understood that there were a number of limitations to the research, however this result  provides a strong indication that considered use can improve efficiency. In addition to the case study a questionnaire was devised to establish the levels of understanding of the use of a central heating system. Of the returned questionnaires, only 14% of those who responded used their central heating systems efficiently. Therefore, the combined result of the research shows that the efficiency of a central heating system can be improved by altering use, and currently, there is a deficiency in understanding or common practice of incorrect central heating system use within the UK.  

Limitations with the research were; 

Within the case study, monitoring was undertaken for three months in each period consecutively. This meant that varying weather conditions will have affected the boiler efficiency and the consequential energy consumption may not be completely representative of the alterations made. 

Another consideration is gas usage within the case study property as gas is not used exclusively for heating; the cooker hob is also fuelled using gas. This means that, while the same number of residents were residing within the property during both periods, varying eating patterns may have introduced further inaccuracy into the results. December for example is a time when residents are off work, and likely to entertain, again resulting in more cooking, higher gas usage and less reliable results. 

Different families are likely to have different comfort requirements and eating habits for example. In addition to this, differing windows, doors, thermal insulation, boiler type and radiator sizing for example would all make data obtained from different properties less directly comparable.  In addition there are a number of potential limitations commonly associated with observational information gathering techniques, such as when individuals or groups of individuals are aware they are being watched, they can sometimes change their behaviour, a phenomenon known as the Hawthorne effect (Kumar 2005: 120-121).

Despite these limitations the research demonstrated that energy and consequently cost savings can be made by educating and encouraging people to use their heating systems more efficiently.  Notwithstanding the fact that buildings also need to be made thermally efficient in the first instance, otherwise all of the heat created is likely to disappear through the walls.

(The above article is a summary of research undertaken by Daniel Coghlan BSc(Hons) as part of his final year dissertation at Coventry University and is published with the express permission of Daniel)

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Air Tightness and Ventilation in UK Dwellings - A sensitive balance!

In the near future it will be interesting to see how our buildings are reacting to increased air tightness, together with ventilation.  In truth only time will tell if this is working when these buildings have been occupied and used for a number of years

Source: Source: http://www.brookvent.co.uk/

In order to tackle climate change the UK government have made commitments under the Climate Change Act 2008 to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% (from the 1990 baseline) by 2050.  Buildings in particular have been identified as a means making significant reductions to meeting these targets: According to BBC News (2006), ‘Transport consistently grabs the headlines on climate change emissions but buildings pour out about half of the UK's CO2 - 30% from homes, 20% from commercial buildings’.  The Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) completed an assessment of a variety of impacts of various sectors may need to prepare, which included the Built Environment: ‘The UK’s built environment includes: 27 million homes, commercial and industrial properties, hospitals, schools, other buildings and the wider urban environment. At the current replacement rate, around 70% of buildings that will be in use in the 2050s already exist.

Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions within buildings, particularly carbon dioxide, can be achieved in two broad categories, the first is the way in which we create energy and the second is the way in which we can conserve or limit waste of energy.  In an earlier article, why should we both with renewable technologies? (Link) I considered the former and emphasised the importance of installing and utilising renewable technologies within buildings, which will significantly reduce our dependency of burning fossil fuels and subsequently reduce carbon dioxide emissions.  For the purposes of this article however I want to briefly focus on conserving energy in buildings and in particular the important balance between air tightness and ventilation.

Source: Source: http://www.airtightbuilding.com/

In order to try to make buildings more energy efficient UK Building Regulation, particularly Approved Document L has evolved beyond all recognition of the last 15 to 20 years.  Those like myself who were in practice prior to this will remember a much shorter, single Approved Document (now there are four parts, L1A, L1B, L2A & L2B), where the most complex issue was how to navigate your way through a SAP calculation.   Nowadays the focus on external envelope is only part of the story and there is now a requirement to consider carbon dioxide emissions for example: under Approved Document L1A , all dwellings must be designed and built in a manner that their Dwelling Carbon Dioxide Emission Rate (DER) measured in kg of CO² produced annually per m² floor area is no worse than a defined Target Carbon Dioxide Emission Rate (TER), as well as air permeability (or air leakage).

Since 2006, Building Regulations in England & Wales and Northern Ireland have required mandatory air leakage testing of new homes. These regulations were further revised in England and Wales in October 2010. ‘Air leakage, air permeability and air tightness are all terms that refer to the uncontrolled loss of air from inside a building to the outside and the infiltration of air coming from outside to inside. This loss or gain of air through cracks, holes or gaps in the fabric of the building is often felt to us as draughts.

Achieving a good level of air tightness is important for the energy efficiency of the building. The benefits of improved insulation and more energy efficient heating systems are lost if warm air can leak out of the building and cold air can leak in. Poor air tightness can be responsible for up to 40% of heat loss from buildings’ Source: http://www.nhbc.co.uk/

The above statement makes a good point in relation to heat loss in those buildings with poor air tightness and that by ‘plugging the gaps’, so to speak, we can ensure that our buildings remain warmer for longer.  This in turn will mean that we will not need as much heating in our buildings and consequently reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the process.  The added other benefit should be a reduction in our energy bills.  Constructing or upgrading a building to meet these air tightness standards is all well and good but we must also consider a balance with ventilating a building.

Ventilation is an important consideration in buildings as it helps to control the internal environment in respect of health & comfort, control of condensation and humidity, discharge of emissions from fuel burning appliances and removal of any airborne pollutants.  Building Regulations Approved Document F provides requirements for ventilation rates in various rooms such as kitchens, bathrooms etc as well as rates for whole house ventilation. The Approved Document also provides examples of different forms of ventilation such as mechanical, background, passive stack etc.  Consideration of the Approved Documents will be crucial in firstly complying with Building Regulations and secondly ensuring that there is an adequate balance between air tightness and ventilation. It would be a mistake to consider each of these in isolation.  It is important to realise that the level of air tightness achieved within a building will have an important influence on the overall ventilation rates that will be achieved (higher levels of air tightness, lower ventilation rates) and the type of ventilation strategy that should be adopted.

In the near future it will be interesting to see how our buildings are reacting to increased air tightness together with ventilation.  In truth only time will tell if this is working when these buildings have been occupied and used for a number of years.  As an example; with the increased use of construction methods such as timber frame which is nicely concealed within a highly air tight environment it is easy to foresee problems in the future with timber decay and other common defects if the balance between air tightness, ventilation and indeed detailing is not adequately considered.  This is also the case for control of both surface and interstitial condensation (condensation that occurs within the fabric of a building), which are both influenced by air tightness and ventilation in conjunction with other factors. We will no doubt find out within the near future if we have got this balance right.

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Statutory Approvals - Why ignorance is no excuse for non-compliance

By their very nature Statutory Approvals are mandatory, they are not a choice.  This is something worth thinking about if you are thinking about buildings works now or in the future

Source: http://www.architectsbelfast.com/

Earlier this year an interesting article appeared in the Telegraph with the rather bold headline ‘One in 10 British homeowners have broken planning and building restrictions'. The article suggests that this is largely due to confusing information and guidelines and lack of or misunderstanding of recent changes, particularly to planning laws.  The article then goes onto state:

‘More than 176,000 homeowners have been ordered by council officials to take down or rectify building work carried out on their properties in the past five years, leaving them considerably out of pocket. Some homeowners have been caught out by mistakenly believing it would be easier to obtain planning permission after they have carried out work rather than before’

The above confirms my general experience of dealing with members of the public, over many years, in that there is a general lack of awareness, sometimes complete ignorance of which statutory approvals (permissions) may apply to any works they are proposing to undertake. For the person proposing (or in many cases starting the works without statutory approvals) the implications of not attaining the requisite permissions can be extremely costly, in addition to creating the potential of committing criminal offences and being subject to fines or possible imprisonment.  This is a serious issue and unfortunately for those who decide to proceed without the required permissions they will find that ignorance is no defence.

Source: http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/

Statutory approvals are required for a variety of reasons and these will inevitably create a difference of opinion between those who propose to have works carried and those who are likely to be impacted by them.  Before being too critical of statutory approvals it is first worth taking a moment to think what the World and indeed your local environment would be like without them.  For example, if there were no planning controls your neighbour may decide to construct an extension or new building as big and as high as their land will permit, which could block your view to the nice rural landscape that you currently enjoy, significantly reduce the amount of natural light into your own building, and affect access to your own land, and so on.... Without Building Regulations approval there would be no control on the quality, standard or safety requirements in which your neighbour should build their extension.  Also, what happens if during the construction your neighbour damages your property? Statutory Approvals such as the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, if applicable, would provide a way of dealing with this.  Therefore, although many may see statutory approvals as an expensive hindrance you can see that the World we live in would be a very different place without some level of control.

 

Source: http://www.abcsolutions.co.uk/our-services/statutory-approvals-cdm/

Prior to undertaking any form of building works it is important to establish if, and if so which statutory approvals apply.  Many Local Authority websites provide a good level of information and guidance to help you to decide if you need to obtain various permissions, however it is always worth getting a professional opinion to answer any of your questions and to advise you more accurately.   This is important because the requirements for statutory approvals is very much dependent of the type/size/scale/location of proposed works and will vary from project to project.  Take planning permission for instance.  There are certain types of works/developments that are classified as ‘permitted development’ and therefore do not require formal planning approval.  I will be discussing this in more detail in next week’s article where you will see that although a formal planning application is not required it is still necessary to obtain something called a Certificate of Lawfulness from the Local Authority to confirm that the proposed works are classified as permitted development.

Members of the public may be surprised by the scope of statutory approvals that may apply and may not think twice about lopping or removing a tree, knocking a wall down in an old building or painting the outside of their house in a bright colour.  Each of these could be in breach of a Tree Preservation Order, Listed Building Consent or Conservation Area Consent respectively.  This provides just three examples where Statutory Approval could quite easily be breached or ignored, however as stated previously, the offending party could end up with a hefty bill for rectification or repair work, alongside a fine or in extreme cases imprisonment.

Consideration of Statutory Approvals for the vast majority of householders in the UK will primarily relate to Planning Permission, Building Regulations Approval and whether the provisions of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 apply.  The process can be further complicated if you propose works to a Listed Building (usually a heritage building), or want to carry out external works or alterations to a building in a Conservation Area. If any works to, or removal of trees is proposed then enquires need to be made with the Local Authority to establish if Tree Preservation Orders are in place.   A whole host of other statutory considerations are required for developments of a larger or more complex nature, such as consideration of Environmental Impact, Ecological issues such as, Protected Species, Water Courses and Japanese Knotweed, then there are Traffic Assessments, Noise Impact Assessments and so on.

The Statutory Approvals discussed above provide an example of the common types of approvals that are required in the UK, however the list is far from exhaustive.  It would be extremely unwise to proceed too quickly with any proposed works/development until the full scope of Statutory Approvals has been established.  Obtaining Statutory Approvals can prove to be a costly exercise particularly when the Local Authority place conditions on the approval, or an application is refused and an applicant decides to appeal.  It is however sensible to find out any conditions that the Local Authority may impose as early as possible, as these can be factored into financial calculations.  This could mean that a scheme becomes financially unviable, possibly due to budget restraints, however, it is far better to find this out before works begin.

As stated earlier it is always advisable to obtain professional advice in respect of Statutory Approvals as early as possible. If this happens then perhaps we will see a reduction in Local Authority enforcement action as detailed in the news article at the beginning of this post.  There will always be those who want to cut corners and ‘do things under the radar’, however, always beware of taking this approach, as the consequences of enforcement action, is a risk just not worth taking.  Also, during the conveyance process Solicitors will request confirmation and copies of Statutory Approvals.  If you have not got them or cannot find then it is likely that perspective purchasers will be put off. By their very nature Statutory Approvals are mandatory, they are not a choice.  This is something worth thinking about if you are proposing any buildings works now or in the future

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Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.