Planning Authorities

If you were to go by a planning authority and the length one has to wait for an appointment, you would think there is a flood of appointments and planning applications to be dealt with . Tried making an appointment last Friday to be given a date of the end of the month, yet the planning authority in question hasn't received a planning application in nearly 4 weeks. Mind you with the rate of the requests for further information from the same authority, you can see how there are no available appointments for nearly 3 weeks... further information requests for almost every application with in most cases requests for redesigns of previously agreed proposals and the flowerly language used, in the same requests for further information isn't helpful either ... just to really get up the applicants and agents backs.

One would think local authorities would be helpful and encourage activity that maintains jobs. Do they not realise that they will end up supporting the construction industry out of their own pocket, through the higher taxes needed to fund the ever growing dole queues.

Other planning authorities are boosting their number of planning applications in retention applications as a result of warning and enforcement procedures, which isn't a true reflection on how active or not construction will be. I wonder how long it will be before the planning authorities throughout the country will realise that there is a significant dent in their revenues due no construction activity and no development contributions, or how many planners will loose their jobs due to the lack of planning applications. Maybe we will see volumes of masterplans for village that will now never be developed prepared by idol planners.

New year updates.

So far the new year (well its no longer the new year now) has been busy but tough. We haven't been getting any breaks from the planning authorities...... just requests for further information and refusals. We did get one permission, for the construction of two boundary walls, which was a "tidy up" job. The further information requests have lots in them, mainly trivial stuff but it has to be answered. Hopefully we will see positive decisions which will enable clients to move on site. As for the refusal, it is a case of sitting and waiting for the next 6 months.

An Bord Pleanala (fortunately) did up hold the Planning Authority's decision in respect to the proposed expansion of a business park, however the delay has meant that the project is not going to proceed on site for a while.

New Year Extension

it's been a while

Feck ! I didn't think its been that long since I last posted over 5 months. Alot has happened in the meantime. There's been major downsizing in the practice where i work. I'm now the only AT in the practice. Many other practices in the area too have down sized, I will be in the minority rather than the majority, when I return to work after Christmas, as unfortunately many AT's will not be returning to work. Many of our clients too have down sized their staff. It's not been an easy year and some say worse is yet to come.
In our practice, we have refocused abit, looked at costs and methods of saving money and how we are going to survive. By the looks of things, we have managed to get one or two lucrative projects for the new year, which should see us through until September or so. We're alos back doing insurance assessment's and Fire Safety Certificate Applications, in addition to the run of the mill stuff we have been doing.
Positive news brings back confidence and that appears to be alot of the problem at the moment, lack of confidence.

On a personal front, I have failed to complete my CIAT POP Record, mind you I am nearly there and will have it done early in the new year. The events that occurred in the office attributed to me failing my goal, but other things, like moving house, attending the scout jamboree all had to take priority. Early next year and I should be sorted.... Well actually I need to be as a Professional Qualification will become more important.

I have been developing my skills with AUTODESK's Impression 2 and think is a great package for preparing sketch drawings.I'm using it quiet a bit of late. Sketchup 7 has arrived too , although I haven't used it that much yet.

Making the best of time.

With things not as busy as they were , it has allowed me look at various methods of presentation and hopefully develop new skills. .. maybe I might now have time to learn revit or even complete that POP record which will allow me apply for CIAT Chartered-ship. In the last few weeks I've been doing some work with AutoDesk's Impression 2. In the past I've use the original version for one or two things, but not to the extent of recent weeks. Its great for presentations as it allows dwg drawings to be transformed into what looks like a hand sketches. And whats better is you can update the cad drawing and with a clip of a button the impression file updates as well... so all the work done is not lost. I have found a few bugs, with times not updating properly, but its still faster than redoing a hand sketch. The smaller fills seem to export better to pdf and jpeg for printing and distribution. So far with the larger files i've found the best results by printing through the software itself. I recently competed a set of plans which looked like a traditional set of blueprints (in blue and all).

Its all about upskilling now.

The downturn

The last few weeks has seen a major sudden down turn resulting in a significant rationalisation plan been put in place in work. Unfortunately most of the staff have received their notice, as work has pretty much dried up and little prospect of anything like the volume of work we had. Getting in fees for work done isn't helping either, as clients are slow to come up with the money. We're not the only one's in the same boat: speaking with many fellow technologists the trend is common, throughout the country. The construction industry as a whole is taking a big hit.

Despite the downturn, my work of late has been varied from doing feasibility studies, planning applications for warehousing and even the odd fire cert application... something I haven't done in about 6 years.

Where will it end, I don't quiet know, however one thing is we need to be positive and look to the challenges of the future and not the good times of the past.

Cahir Scout Den Proposal

Nerves, Nerves ,Nerves.

On Thursday night last I make a presentation to 60 odd potential self builders. It formed part of the EBS self build seminar, which was run by the local EBS branch. I had one or two moments when I lost my train of thought but this was down to nerves, I think. I definitely had too much ground to cover, in terms of topics, so I ended up running over on time. My presentation covered the design brief, selection of a designer, site selection, planning permission, routes of construction of dwelling, and certification . It would have been much better if it had only focuses on the first 3 items. I properly had too much detail too, in some areas. I'll know better next time ( if there is a next time ). Overall the night went well, not sure if we'll get any work out of it, but you'll never know.

Anyway I intend using the presentation as part of my POP record, hopefully it will be acceptable and have made the night useful for me.

Next week sees me heading SEI's Energy Show in Dublin, with where I'll attend two presentations, one which will really interest me, relates to the passive house, some which will become more and more common. Another couple of hours on the CPD count as well. Well over my minimum 35 hours are required to do by the Code of Conduct in CIAT.

Slow down ..... not from where I am !

Its been a while since I was last on blogging. I've been very busy of late. So much for a slowdown in construction. we have picked up a number odd jobs of late, nothing large, just enough to keep us ticking over, but nobody is prepared to wait, they all have to be done immediately.

Last week was a busy week, spent all Tuesday traveling the South West viewing sites, in the hope that we would be in the running for a large job. Friday was a very intense day, as I had to write a number of reports on the sites and make relevant recommendations on their suitability. Not an easy task in a few cases.

In between that I had to complete a planning application submission and prepare a preliminary design for two warehouses. I meant to do attend to two other jobs as well, but I didn't get time to. Next week will be another hard week. There will be at least 3 guys on the phone first thing Monday morning !!!

On top of that I have tpo prepare a presentation for an information evening orgainsed by a local firm. The presentation is meant to be completed by Monday evening, so tomorrow or should I say later today will be busy. No rest at all for me....

And more work.

They say Time flies when you're having fun.. seeing as this week flew I must be having fun ! I didn't think beginning rushed off one's feet was the definition of fun.

Another very busy week which didn't seem to produce much in the was of significant progress on anything, a few sketch proposals for jobs here and there, a few letters and then there was a few mapping issues to be sorted out. Boy do I hate clients who decide to change maps and boundaries and then never think of the long term effects. I spent the afternoon checking maps prepared over 3 years ago.... :(

This week saw the latest Technical Guidance Document L relating to dwellings published. It brings with it many new changes, both in terms of design and how we will construct dwellings. Air tightness beginning the major new element for the builders. The publication was timely, as on Wednesday night I was in Limerick to attend Homebond's Right on the Site seminar. As always it was very informative and well worth making the effort attending. It covered many of the new technologies associated with Part L, Air tightness, Sustainable Energy and BER (Building Energy Rating). My conclusions are that it will be worthwhile doing the BER assessor training, as I design houses in the future.

CIAT have started a weekly email effort with information for members, which is great, hopefully some Irish news will make its way into it. Speaking of CIAT, its time I went and done some more of my POP record.