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Public cast iron pipes....extension?!

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  • 08-07-2016 8:56pm
    #1
    cld9
    Registered Users Posts: 3 ✭


    Hi,

    I'm looking at buying a property (an two bed end of terrace) that's on a corner site and doing an extension to the side and rear of the property.
    I've contacted the Council and apparently there's a cast iron pipe on the 'leeway' of the property - it's outside the property but running along the wall but they've said they need a 3 meter sterilisation zone between the house and the pipe.

    We don't want to buy the property until we know whether we can build an extension but we're struggling to get a straight answer as we've been told we'd have to apply for planning permission to find out but we obviously don't want to buy it without knowing!!

    Does anyone have any experience of this? If so, is there a way to get around this? Could we pay to get the pipe moved?

    Thanks!
    Claire
    Tagged:


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    #2
    antiskeptic
    Registered Users Posts: 9,555 ✭✭✭antiskeptic


    cld9 wrote: »
    Hi,

    I'm looking at buying a property (an two bed end of terrace) that's on a corner site and doing an extension to the side and rear of the property.
    I've contacted the Council and apparently there's a cast iron pipe on the 'leeway' of the property - it's outside the property but running along the wall but they've said they need a 3 meter sterilisation zone between the house and the pipe.

    We don't want to buy the property until we know whether we can build an extension but we're struggling to get a straight answer as we've been told we'd have to apply for planning permission to find out but we obviously don't want to buy it without knowing!!

    Does anyone have any experience of this? If so, is there a way to get around this? Could we pay to get the pipe moved?

    Thanks!
    Claire

    What kind of pipe is it? Water/Gas would be straightforward (comparatively) to re route. Sewage pipe requires a certain fall (gradient, slope downwards) and diverting it sideways to run alongside your property but on the public road/path, then back in front of your property to reconnect to the original route means extra pipe length, but no extra fall. Overall gradient would thus reduce over the section and might not be allowed since blockages could be expected to occur.

    Costs of re-routing might involve contribution rather than out and out full costs. To get gas to a house from the main road, for instance, cost me around 500 euro whereas there wouldn't be a hope in hell of getting that amount of work done paying normal contractor rates.

    Dunno if a pre-planning meeting would help. It's possible to organize one if you've the permission of the owner of the property to approach the council planners, I gather. Takes a couple of weeks to tee up in Dun Laoghaire but each council will be different. Sketch your plans, take some photos, explain the situation and see if they'll give you a solid steer. Sale then subject to that outcome.

    Fair play for that level of due diligence. Many wouldn't have thought to investigate to that extent.


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    #3
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 38,464 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    cld9 wrote: »
    Hi,

    I'm looking at buying a property (an two bed end of terrace) that's on a corner site and doing an extension to the side and rear of the property.
    I've contacted the Council and apparently there's a cast iron pipe on the 'leeway' of the property - it's outside the property but running along the wall but they've said they need a 3 meter sterilisation zone between the house and the pipe.

    We don't want to buy the property until we know whether we can build an extension but we're struggling to get a straight answer as we've been told we'd have to apply for planning permission to find out but we obviously don't want to buy it without knowing!!

    Does anyone have any experience of this? If so, is there a way to get around this? Could we pay to get the pipe moved?

    Thanks!
    Claire

    Take it at worse case scenario.
    You cannot build within 3m of the pipe each side. Will that impact your proposed extension?

    I recently see a retention refused for a garden shed as it was within the right of way/way leaves for a council pipe in a rear lane way.


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    #4
    cld9
    Registered Users Posts: 3 ✭cld9


    Thanks for the replies!
    I'm not sure what sort of pipe it is. I know there is a sewer pipe running through the back garden but this one is along the side of the property and on the ordnance map it's just called '4" cast iron pipe 1935'...I tried to get more info from the Council but they're not very helpful really - I might do the pre-planning meeting as you suggest and hopefully they'll be able to give me a straight forward answer.

    If there's no way to get around the pipe then I guess we won't be purchasing because we couldn't go out as far we'd like to make it worth our while. It's a small house to begin with so we'd be looking to do a big enough job to make it into a family home.


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    #5
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 38,464 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    cld9 wrote: »
    Thanks for the replies!
    I'm not sure what sort of pipe it is. I know there is a sewer pipe running through the back garden but this one is along the side of the property and on the ordnance map it's just called '4" cast iron pipe 1935'...I tried to get more info from the Council but they're not very helpful really - I might do the pre-planning meeting as you suggest and hopefully they'll be able to give me a straight forward answer.

    If there's no way to get around the pipe then I guess we won't be purchasing because we couldn't go out as far we'd like to make it worth our while. It's a small house to begin with so we'd be looking to do a big enough job to make it into a family home.

    The pipe running in the back garden is most likely a private drain serving the row of houses. You can build over that subject to the neighbours permission and adequate construction methods to prevent damage, or simply divert it around the extension.

    The pipe in the lane is most likely a council maintained and owned pipe and hence the wayleaves.

    Where is the property located?


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    #6
    antiskeptic
    Registered Users Posts: 9,555 ✭✭✭antiskeptic


    cld9 wrote: »
    Thanks for the replies!
    I'm not sure what sort of pipe it is. I know there is a sewer pipe running through the back garden but this one is along the side of the property and on the ordnance map it's just called '4" cast iron pipe 1935'...I tried to get more info from the Council but they're not very helpful really - I might do the pre-planning meeting as you suggest and hopefully they'll be able to give me a straight forward answer.

    If there's no way to get around the pipe then I guess we won't be purchasing because we couldn't go out as far we'd like to make it worth our while. It's a small house to begin with so we'd be looking to do a big enough job to make it into a family home.

    4" doesn't sound like sewer to me - too small. You could pm the OS and let someone here take a look to see if they can figure out what it is.

    I wonder if you agreed to fit a large pipe through which their pipe (a new one) could run under your extension would that suffice. A continuous new run could be laid in that larger pipe (which shouldn't need attending to for years) and if it leaks at some point under your extension, the whole could be easily slid out and a new inserted, from either front or back of your extension. If the larger was itself a continuous run (plastic) then any leak under your extension would only reveal outside it and have no affect on your extension.


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