the whole planning process a second time. To make matters worse, it transpired that the error was not theirs but was down to dimensional tolerance in the Ordnance Survey map. Final planning approval eventually came


through in April . Looking back, erry says “The delays meant we were renting for more than three years when we expected it to be just a year. “It’s painful to talk about. There were lots of people in the village who were happy with our plans and wished us well, but there were others who raised a number of objections.” Frank chips in: “The planning authority was


really put on the back foot by the nature of the objections, which included two Freedom of Information requests to release all the communications related to the application.” Architect Tim suspects there might have been


less resistance if the self-build’s plans had been “more traditional” but adds: “We tried to do everything right in this project. rank and erry met with the local residents before submitting their planning application and we established a strong dialogue with the local authority, including the conservation offi cer, working with them to give them what they required.” Construction, which got underway in December 2023, was never going to be straightforward with a four-metre-deep excavation necessary at the back of the bank nearest the road – especially on a site with very little room for storing materials and equipment. erry says “You never really know what


youre going to fi nd when you start digging but the builders were marvellous and it was like precision surgery. On the downside, the lack of


“We knew from experience how important it is to get someone with local knowledge involved”


space meant the digger was left on the riverbank and had to be lifted out by crane!” Working with their structural engineer, their


architect and their builder, rank and erry settled on a construction method that comprises a retaining wall of insulated concrete formwork (ICF) that is blended with the timber-framed superstructure. The concrete base for the whole structure sits on an Isoquick foundation system – made from prefabricated polystyrene that locks together like a jigsaw. A concrete shear key, which Frank describes as being “like a dagger board on a boat”, was also included as an alternative to piling to stop the building sliding down the bank.


A riverside location like this,10m from the water and 3m above it, obviously comes with a fl ood risk, but as rank explains “e did extensive analysis and, in the end, we set the lower fl oor level of the house at mm above the 1-year maximum predicted fl ood level.” rank and erry eventually moved into their new home in 2025, but only after the added


45


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