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Author Topic: Finished Floor Levels  (Read 11309 times)

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pughster25

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Finished Floor Levels
« on: April 04, 2018, 09:11:10 pm »
So I've been over all the submitted drawings for our phase where our house is built as I just felt something wasn't right as we didn't have 150mm above DPC for some of the surrounding ground around the house. 

On looking on the local authroity planning portal I could see that, according to the drawing for external levels and drainage, my house should be at a FFL of 185.15 and the house opposite at the same FL level and the footpath at an FFL of 185 giving me my 150mm below DPC.

So the house opposite that should be the same FFL of 185.15 is actually much higher. I complained to the site manager who said he would look at why it was higher, several weeks later still nothing so I went above him. Several weeks and still no answer, so went to the regional director who did speak to the architect and there was a few revisions of the external levels and drainage drawing making several properties 450mm higher than submitted to the local authority.

I disputed that the drawings the architect sent were not on the planning portal and as the house had been raised affecting my house and surrounding neighbouring houses that I didnt think this is a  non material amendment or minor material amendment and should have been resubmitted to the local authority for them to have regard to the affect of the change.

They came back under the planning permission granted they do not have to inform the local authority of any level changes, is this correct?

Thanks in advance


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Re: Finished Floor Levels
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2018, 08:47:07 am »
All changes to approved planning permissions do need to be notified to the planning authority as far as I know. It may well be considered a minor change and as such it can be approved by the planner as a rider to the original approval without the need for a full application.

But........... the housebuilder should have made you aware of this material change to what you thought you had bought. CCHB compensation is woefully inadequate even if you succeed and the only choices to you are 1) Accept it with a small compensation payment or 2) Walk away and the builder pays all your abortive costs and expenses.

On most sites, there are times when the as-built will not reflect the approved drawings to suit site conditions (drainage and finished ground levels being common)  conditions.

As long as the DPC is 150mm (2 courses) above FGL and the air bricks are above FGL, I wouldn't worry too much.
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pughster25

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Re: Finished Floor Levels
« Reply #2 on: April 05, 2018, 10:22:01 am »
Thanks for that.  They have sent a checklist I signed and it was the latest drawing but at the time I didnt even know what an FFL was so will leave this one.

Regarding the 150mm below DPC, my drive slopes from 2 bricks below DPC to 1 brick below DPC, speaking to them about it they acknowledge that DPC should be a min 150mm above ground level.

They plan on rectifying the driveway by putting ACO drainage in where the driveway is less than 150mm below DPC, is this acceptable?

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Re: Finished Floor Levels
« Reply #3 on: April 06, 2018, 09:32:45 am »
ACO drain for a too low external wall DPC?

There is a reason the DPC is two courses minimum above ground level.
It is that when rain hits the ground surface the splash back is unlikely to reach the wall above the DPC.
The only time when this is less important, is when the external wall has waterproof rendered.

Fitting an ACO drain will work to the extent that some of the rain will fall through the grates, but any drops hitting the ACO grate will still splash up.  If your drive slopes towards the house wall, let them fit the ACIO drain and a puddle would make the problem even worse.
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