Brick slips or render?

My house is a standard semi-detached. Externally to the front it has brick on the bottom and pebbledash on the top half. Attached garage to the side. Basically a normal boring 1980's block built house— the only thing special or unusual about it is that I happen to live there (although possibly that makes it even more boring).

So (as in another thread I started) I'm converting my garage. New wall & window are installed where the roller door was. I built a timber frame wall to sit the window one, with cementitious fibreboard as cladding. I went with cement board cladding mainly because the local authority wouldn't give me any sort of an answer on whether timber cladding would be acceptable, as it would stand out a bit from the rest of the estate. Also, after 3 months outside badly stored (totally exposed and on it's edge) in terrible weather it hasn't deteriorated at all so I'm pretty sure it'll stand the test of time better than timber cladding. (A block built wall wasn't really feasible as this would have required foundations, and god only knows what water and/or electrical conduits might be where I would have had to excavate).

The main way to finish this seems to be either render (silicone silicate?). But I'm also concerned about the possibility of the council giving me grief because the lower part of the house is red brick, so I'm considering brick slips as an option too.

Does anyone have any experience of either of these on external cement board? Pros & cons of one Vs the other?

Bonus points for anyone who can give any guidance on whether the local authority has any say on the matter if someone gets the hump and reports my garage conversion to the council— conversion of the garage is exempted development for sure, but can they object and say it should be brick facade instead of rendered?

Bonus bonus points for information whether I can attach brick slips to the render later on.

Thanks.

Bump.

Surely someone has some experience or thoughts on using cement board externally?

Thanks.

Lumen

The way I understand the planning system, you can either preserve the garagey look (e.g. faux door) or make it look more like the house, but you can't deviate from either of these finishes without planning permission.

It sounds like you've opted to make it look like the house, so try and make that design as non jarring as possible.

Or ask the council!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119929816#Comment_119929816

Thanks Lumen. Would you have a reference for that rule about the appearance? Is that in a statutory instrument etc?

The council gave a non-answer when I asked them- wouldn't give me any guidance, just said if I wanted to know I should make an application for determination as to whether it was exempt or not. Not helpful at all— would you know which local authorities might be more helpful? It's not like the law changes from one t'other....

Lumen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119932436#Comment_119932436

A quick Google found this. There's plenty of meat in it!

rrl3552.pdf

For instance.... (my emphasis)

An Bord Pleanála has concluded that:

...

(b) the replacement of the garage door with timber panel wall under new window is development within the meaning of section 3 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 but, being works that materially alters the external appearance of a structure so as to render the appearance inconsistent with the character of the structures or neighbouring structures and is therefore not exempted development within the meaning of section 4(1)(h) of the said Act 

Still stihl waters 3

Cement board is perfect for external work, I've used it multiple times with never a bother, for the brick slips talk to your local supplier and they'll supply what you need

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119932672#Comment_119932672

Thanks Lumen. Interesting reading.

I emailed the question to the planning department of my county council on the off-chance their communications skills had improved. They haven't: they gave me a lot less information than you, and referred me to the completely wrong part of the SI...I still have no suggestion as to whether they consider render would "materially alters the external appearance of a structure so as to render the appearance inconsistent with the character of the structures or neighbouring structures" and probably they don't really care (pretty certain they don't care about the external insulation jobs around the place which are much more incongruent) and why would they in fairness. But I'm starting to lean heavily towards brick slips just to be on the safe side.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119932723#Comment_119932723

I'm hoping to find a clip on system, as that would be more aligned with my skillset than the brick-slip & adhesive approach. Any idea where I can get these? There seems to be a fair few suppliers in the UK, but none in Ireland that I can find online.

Thanks.