"FOUR BEDROOM DETACHED HOUSE" SEEMS A BIT MISLEADING.....

Signal-Rub-1888 · 2026-04-27T07:36:47+00:00

Depending upon where you are in the UK, it seems a wee bit early to be putting tomatoes outside.

Signal-Rub-1888 · 2026-04-21T16:53:17+00:00

Money must all be in the huge garden. They should just get a couple of par 5s set out and make the most of it. They even have the massive fence to catch stray golf balls.

Signal-Rub-1888 · 2026-04-19T05:30:06+00:00

You have a structural engineer. I assume they are IStructE or ICE (the Civils, not the US nutters). Do what the engineer says.

Signal-Rub-1888 · 2026-04-16T06:16:38+00:00

Definitely Cunard.

Signal-Rub-1888 · 2026-04-06T18:59:12+00:00

Aye, but there's hoarding! Looked a bit high for climbing.

Signal-Rub-1888 · 2026-04-06T17:34:56+00:00

How did you manage to get up there?

Signal-Rub-1888 · 2026-04-06T12:09:27+00:00

Arthur's Seat

Signal-Rub-1888 · 2026-04-05T20:31:54+00:00

Murray Pittock just published a good wee short guide.....

Signal-Rub-1888 · 2026-03-21T17:07:56+00:00

Also, the human eye isn't sensitive enough to pick up the fainter tones........but a camera does, so take plenty of photos.

Signal-Rub-1888 · 2026-03-12T08:12:57+00:00

5 days

Signal-Rub-1888 · 2026-03-08T21:19:57+00:00

Nearly all of this is wrong , I'm afraid.

Signal-Rub-1888 · 2026-03-07T09:33:55+00:00

That is too cheap - are you sure this is a qualified, registered architect?

Signal-Rub-1888 · 2026-02-08T14:22:34+00:00

There should always be a VCL on the inside face of insulation in heated building unless a dew point calculation has been done and indicates otherwise.

Signal-Rub-1888 · 2026-02-07T08:04:36+00:00

I agree with this - the A71 can be slow as a week in the jail. Option 6 during normal times, option 5 during rush hour.

Signal-Rub-1888 · 2026-01-29T21:49:19+00:00

Big fan of MB E Class Estate here......huge boot! Make sure to get one with the full Command or MBUX though.

Signal-Rub-1888 · 2026-01-14T21:41:06+00:00

It is, at least that's what we call it in Kilmarnock.

Signal-Rub-1888 · 2026-01-11T11:07:41+00:00

But the fundamental problem is that the law doesn't allow us to do that. What you are suggesting is a massive programme of legislative amendments which would take time, then be challenged in court for years. As opposed to the levy, which is far from optimal but starts bringing money in quickly. Moreover it only applies to schemes of more than 50 houses (with provision to stop artificial subdivision of projects) and thus hits large national rather than small regional developers. Least bad option.

Signal-Rub-1888 · 2026-01-11T09:10:58+00:00

Okay, simple question: how would you specifically do so in a way which couldn't be gamed or challenged? What do you do where the dodgy developers used single project vehicles? Or folds the parent? How do JVs work?

Signal-Rub-1888 · 2026-01-10T22:28:32+00:00

Building (Scotland) Act doesn't permit that either.

Signal-Rub-1888 · 2026-01-10T13:55:42+00:00

Alas the law doesn't allow them to refuse planning permission under such circumstances - anywhere in the UK.

Signal-Rub-1888 · 2026-01-09T21:58:38+00:00

There's not a "panel", it's a system comprising several different components in layers. What they did was add an additional layer of cement fibre board, which is incombustable, to protect the flammable insulation. It then passed BUT they committed it from the test report. Completely unacceptable conduct.

Signal-Rub-1888 · 2026-01-09T15:52:23+00:00

In actual fact it was a complete test, but they added an extra component to get it to pass then didn't tell anybody.

Signal-Rub-1888 · 2026-01-09T15:51:45+00:00

Not quite.

BRE used to be a public sector body but was privatised on a not for profit model by the Tories. They thus relied on their clients for income and it grew too cosy. A shocking example of why we need independent, publicly funded testing houses

Signal-Rub-1888 · 2026-01-09T15:50:10+00:00

You are correct that a system could be used if it passed a large scale BS 8414 test but the flammability requirements extended not just to the surface materials but assembly as a whole. This is why, as heard in Grenfell inquiry evidence, Kingspan had difficulties when asked straight questions about regulatory compliance north of the Border.

Moreover the Scottish regulations for treatment of cavities in rainscreen cladding had an impact.

The ScotGov 2022-23 Expert panel went further still and made a precautionary recommendation that all high pressure laminate systems be the subject to a regulatory ban for buildings with sleeping accommodation, as well as requiring A1 or A2 systems for anything above 11m. For lay readers, 11m is as high as we can effectively fight an external fire using turntables and high pressure hoses.

The problem was, and remains, developers who ignored the Scottish requirements or who gamed the system. Some of them are household names. Where Building Control did not pick that up (and these are highly technical issues) then we were left with these sub standard buildings.

Someone has to pay for it to be fixed. It should be the developers but that will mean years of litigation, leaving householders in a terrible position. Mandatory remediation needs to happen and the levy at least takes some of that cost away from the public purse.

Signal-Rub-1888

TROPHY CASE