Are you locked into the CSH certifier you're using? Ours was very pragmatic about choosing options that were easiest/cheapest - can pass on his name if it's useful

Hi Richard

I'm a Code Assessor in Wales where CSH has been mandatory (level 3) across the board since 2010. I see there was a suggestion to ask your local council to drop the condition because of the recent decision, but I would say this would be unlikely until the framework is in place for how they will replace the loss of the CSH standards through additional or increased Building Regulations or similar.

In terms of costs, (just for a comparison for you), for level 4 we would normally say something along the lines of:-
Design Stage - £700 + VAT
Post Construction - £600 + VAT
Water Calculator - included in the above
SAP - £250 + VAT (As Designed & As Built inc EPC) - includes a lot of advice to optimise your options - we also happen to be commercial M&E designers so understand heating/ventilation options rather than just ticking boxes!
Air pressure test - this could also add about £200-250 at the end, which I don't think has been included.

Ecology - very similar - and I would probably advice to get if possible for level 4 as they are quite valuable credits.

Site Waste Management Plan - avoid if you can (better for multiple dwellings)

Considerate Constructor Scheme - avoid if you can (as above)

Home User Guide - DIY

Surface Water & Flood Risk Assessments - CSH require specific information which is unlikely to have been covered as part of an initial planning report as well as a SUR template - all needs to be carried out by a 'suitably qualified' person, for example in civils, perhaps with additional hydrology qualifications, have relevant industry experience and have the necessary approved software (e.g - MicroDrainage). - the costs you have mentioned seem in line with what we would expect to see.

Secure by Design - I believe this is currently still a no fee service here, but I wouldn't be surpised to see fees creeping in - £50 is probably still reasonable if it helps to get two more credits.

Construction Management Plan - not really sure what you're referring to here or how it fits into the code assessment.

In general, if I was building to CSH, I would spend as much of my budget as I could on the house itself, adding loads of insulation, improving air pressure test (down to 3 if not using MVHR, otherwise lower), MVHR or not (depending on preference!), High efficiency low NOx boiler if you're on mains gas, coupled with PV if possible, really good DG or TG windows if you can get them for a reasonable price and still meet SBD requirements.

Lifetime Homes credits are worth a lot if your architect is able to incorporate all the design requirements.

I would be trying to stay away from WAS2, MAN2 and MAN3 credits where possible as these are aimed towards (or more useful for) larger developments. Also MAT2 and MAT3 credits are often more bothersome than worth it for the meagre points they provide, especially where we are in the country where specialists products would have to be ordered in at higher cost.

FWIW - we're just at the end of our build which had previous planning on it so didn't need to meet code, but our house (semi-rural, no mains gas) would have met CSH level 4 and scored quite highly under ENE1, ENE2 and ENE7, but that's just because it's important to us. It also looks like a traditional cottage and most people seem to think it's a renovation! - a well performing buidling doesn't have to look like a modern box if you don't want it to.

Hope this helps a bit, this is just my opinion though!

I agree.

I agree totally Macey. That is why so few self builds are going on. When I look at my self build costs under the regs back then, I would estimate an additional £20-30,000 of costs under current CFSH regs. You add the 10% sale costs going to the LA and why would you bother. All it would take is having to relocate for work or a divorce during a stressful build and wham!! 10% please to the LA as you need to sell the house.
IMHO (I am no expert) but in Wales at least under current regs and planning condition renovation is the way to go. Leave new builds alone until the lack of building is noticed and the rules change.

That is a very good question that I do not have the answer to. My planning went through before this all came in. In Cerdigion and Pembs (maybe more counties) when you are actually given planning it is written in that if you sell the property you must give 10% of sale value to the LA. The value is assessed after completion. Land value is not added so it is just the building value apparently. It is not index linked so the actual sum falls away as the years pass by. I am not 100% up to speed with all of the details as I dropped the idea of building again under these conditions anyway. The rules came in around 2010 under the radar. Even the local builders did not know of the rule change for quite some time.
It seems totally backward to me when we need houses we increase the taxation to build them.

Do you think this could be for National Park areas? It's just that I haven't seen it on any usual planning conditions and have seen a few since that date. I'm aware of the Community Infrastructure Levy, not sure if that's the same thing, but again I'm not sure how consistently it's applied to single builds.

In Ceredigion the % payment ("commuted sum") is one of the options for an affordable homes levy on new builds. It is covered in the Local Development Plan, under Policy S05, which was fully adopted in April 2013.

http://www.ceredigion.gov.uk/utilities/action/act_download.cfm?mediaid=47487&langtoken=eng

There is currently an update (still in draft) that may be adopted in the future:

http://www.ceredigion.gov.uk/utilities/action/act_download.cfm?mediaid=50911&langtoken=eng

Posted By: ferdinand2000I'd say taxing people who may only just be able to afford their house to pay for affordable houses is analagous to a benefits trap.

If they *must* sit on this particular gorse bush then I'd say start it at 100 sqm, like CiL.

Yep - totally back to front; for many the only way to be able to afford a not deliberately badly built house is to build it yourself.

I worry a bit about arbitrary cut-off points (like 100 m²) as people will wriggle round them in counter-productive ways by, for example, having big conservatories or building “extensions” immediately after completion but some sort of mechanism to ensure that small houses aren't hit too much is needed. Maybe 0% on the first £60,000 of market value, 10% on next £60k, 12% on amount of value above £120k or something. Whatever, avoid discontinuities which incentivize weird behaviour.

.... because LAs no longer build?
Who else builds houses?
HAs - not many....?

Does anyone have an example of a Site Waste Management Plan for the CFSH that they could share / point me in the right direction of?

Thanks,
Richard

Richard,

Try ... http://www.wrap.org.uk/content/site-waste-management-plans-1

Cheers