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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2009 10:17 am
by lutonlagerlout
unless they ask for it ,why bother with the extra cost and potential fail of having an underground bath
every time we dig footings in luton and strike a soakaway ;-(
its full of water
so by definition its pointless in clay,like an ashtray on a motorbike or a chocolate teapot
chalk,gravel and sandy soils are fine
LLL
Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2009 11:15 am
by Scramble
>unless they ask for it ,why bother with the extra cost and potential fail of having an underground bath
I know it'll be useless -- the point is to comply with the regulations so avoiding the time, expense and hassle of having to got through planning. (But the overflow pipe will do the required work).
Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2009 11:38 am
by mickg
dig the soak a way and connect it to the existing rain water system with the over flow pipe, doing this means you have conformed to the current planning legislation, take photos of all stages of your work in case your nosy neighbour kicks up a fuss.
Its people like him who will phone the planning office to grass you up and its the only time the planning officer will leave the comfort of their nice warm office as they have to act on it if they get a complaint.
make sure the soak a way is as far away from the house as possible, as in 3m minimum but 5m would be better, granted the soak a way will serve no purpose but you have tried to contain the surface water within your boundary and in cases like yours the change in the planning was a complete and utter waste of time and money....but hey thats the intelligent people who decide what we can and can't do but have no common sense
Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2009 12:38 pm
by Mikey_C
just out of interest should Scramble put a non return valve (at alot of £££) between the link on the soakaway and the "drains".
a) in case the drains backup and it fills the "soakaway"
and
b) to stop rats making a nice home in the soakaway
just a thought, as I am curious, as I nearly did the same thing myself.
Also if you are in a heavy clay area what is done with surface water from the rest of the property (roof) is there not a storm drain/combined system. As then surely PP would be granted for direct connection?? or I am applying logic to a non-logical planning requirement?
Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2009 1:43 pm
by mickg
yes you are applying logic, well done 
I personally think a non return valve is overkill and you cant justify the cost, if a rat wants to make a home it will make it anyway no matter whats in place.
Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2009 6:32 pm
by Scramble
>Also if you are in a heavy clay area what is done with surface water from the rest of the property (roof)
It goes into the drains. We recently had an extension built and the building regs guy said a soakaway wouldn't work for the gutters so go into the drains. So planning may well be okay with that as well for the driveway, but I'd still prefer to avoid having to go through planning.
Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2010 3:50 pm
by Mikey_C
IMHO, if you planning on getting a contractor in the work will only take a few days, get the job done, connect to drains take photos along the way IF the nosy neighbour or the council notice and say anything apply for retrospective planning permission. The likelyhood is neither the neighbour or the council will care! Have any other drives been done locally since the october before last?