Serviced Site Information Leaflet

BUYING A BUILDING PLOT/ BUILDING YOUR OWN HOME

IMAGE: The cover identifies the document as the “Serviced Site Information Leaflet” and “BUYING A BUILDING PLOT/ BUILDING YOUR OWN HOME”. It displays the Orkney Islands Council crest, with the words “ORKNEY ISLANDS COUNCIL” and the motto “Boreas Domus Mare Amicus”.

Orkney Islands Council wants to ensure that the plots are used by local people to build a home they can afford. To this end, affordable serviced sites are available at various locations throughout Orkney.

You will be required to start building your house within three years of land purchase. The Orkney Islands Council Policy states that ‘If you do not or if you sell the plot within three years, the Council will be able to buy it back from you at the price you have paid for it and to resell on to another local person unless there are good reasons for you not having made a start.’

One of the Council’s priorities is to provide affordable housing. It is important that there is a balance between the provision of social and private housing and between higher and lower density developments. Many towns and villages have seen increased levels of residential development in recent years and there is a need to provide an option for people to be able to build a house with a design and layout that suit the needs of the people.

Orkney Islands Council will ensure that land is specifically indentified for affordable serviced residential sites in the Local Development Plan and that a development brief is in place where required.

The number of serviced sites permitted within each area will depend on a number of factors such as the location and size of town or village.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Planning Permission

Planning permission is required for any new development. Your planning application form will contain your details and those of an agent if you use one, the location of the application site, and full details of the proposed development.

Application forms must be accompanied by:

• A certificate stating the ownership of the site
• The appropriate planning application fee
• Location and site plans drawn to an appropriate scale
• Detailed elevations of the proposed development
• Any other information relating to the proposed development

Your planning application will be determined in accordance with all relevant policies within the Orkney Local Development Plan, and associated Supplementary Guidance.

If your application site is located within any of the five towns or villages – Kirkwall, Stromness, Dounby, Finstown, or St Margaret’s Hope, your application must be accompanied by a Design Statement. This will allow you to demonstrate how your proposed design responds to relevant policies and guidance, and everything that you have considered while designing your house.

It is faster and simpler to make your planning application online at the ePlanning website https://www.eplanning.scot/ePlanningClient/

For advice regarding any proposed house design or any other issues relating to the planning application process, contact a Planning Officer in Development Management.

Building Warrant

Prior to commencing works on site each plot owner will be required to obtain Building Warrant approval, and once works have finished a Completion Certificate, with all works designed and constructed in accordance with the Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004, as amended. Due to the complexity of and frequent changes to building regulations you are encouraged to seek professional assistance in preparing the drawings and specification required to support your building warrant and completion certificate submissions.

Application forms and advice relating to the building standards system are available to view on the council’s website by following the link http://www.orkney.gov.uk/Service-Directory/B/Building-Standards.htm

Services

Orkney Islands Council is offering Serviced Sites which include main foul and surface water drainage for the site which will be adopted by Scottish Water and electricity supply and telecommunication ducting.

Services will be extended into each plot or may be located adjacent to the plot.

Foul Drainage

A disconnecting manhole will be located within the plot. The plot owner will be responsible for connecting their house foul drainage to this manhole. The works will be subject to approval from Building Control.

Maintenance of the system from the house to the disconnecting manhole will be the responsibility of the plot owner.

Surface Water Drainage

A disconnecting manhole will be located within the plot.

Surface water from the house and garage roofs and from the access drives and other hard-standing areas will need to be treated to the satisfaction of Building Standards prior to discharging into this manhole.

The plot owner will be responsible for providing this treatment and for connecting their surface water drainage to this manhole.

Maintenance of the system from the house to the disconnecting manhole will be the responsibility of the plot owners.

Water

A water main will be located within or adjacent the plot. Scottish Water will not permit a connection to this main to be made until the house is ready to accept a water connection (all plumbing work to the house is complete).

Building Water will be the responsibility of the plot owner and they will have to make an application for this to Scottish Water.

Electricity

The main electricity supply cable will be located within or adjacent to the plot. The connection will be taken to the plot and terminated in a temporary metered box. The plot owner will be responsible for extending the cable from this temporary connection box to their house. The temporary box can then be removed. The costs for this work will be the responsibility of the plot owners. It is the plot owner’s responsibility to arrange a connection with the electricity provider.

Telecommunications

BT ducting and joint boxes have been installed extending into the plot. No cabling will be provided within this duct.

It will be the responsibility of the plot owner to arrange and pay for a BT connection to their house.

Affordable Sites

Orkney Islands Council has a role to play in providing access to affordable housing sites. The Council will hold a waiting list for such sites, which will be allocated on a points basis, points being awarded for a number of factors as follows:

• being an existing OIC/ OHAL tenant
• currently living/ working in the area
• being an identified key worker needing to move to the area for work
• being a first time buyer or having a silver, gold or platinum pass on the Common Housing Register.

No site will be sold for less than the open market value/ cost of servicing, including land costs, (whichever is the greater). A proportion of sites will be ‘capped’ at this figure and sold as affordable sites, allocated on a point’s basis.

Orkney Islands Council will hold a waiting list for ‘capped’ sites, and in the event of two or more applicants having the same points priority allocation will be to the applicant with the earliest application.

It is anticipated that in most circumstances a household purchasing a serviced site that has been allocated on the points basis would not be eligible to purchase a second site in this way. They could however, if they had developed and sold said site, purchase a further ‘open market’ site.

All Orkney Islands Council dealings with you, and all contracts between us, will be governed by the laws of Scotland.

Should you have any concerns regarding affordable serviced sites, then please contact the Housing Management team in the first instance.

In the event that you remain dissatisfied after contacting the Housing Management team, then please put your concerns in writing to the Director of Finance and Housing at the Council Offices in Kirkwall.

Example of budget planning

The following table could prove to be useful in determining the full extent of costs in relation to your proposed building project. It is useful to keep track of your costs by comparing your Budget to your Actual Costs.

IMAGE: The budget-planning page contains six blank cost tables for Funding, Plot Purchase, Professional Fees, Local Council Fees, General, and Utilities. Each table has columns for Budget, Actual cost, Supplier, and Notes, and includes a total row with pound signs.

IMAGE: The budget-planning page contains six blank cost tables for Site Clearance/ Security, Foundations, Plant, Building structure, External Cladding, and Roof Tiling. Each table has columns for Budget, Actual cost, Supplier, and Notes, and includes a total row with pound signs.

IMAGE: The budget-planning page contains six blank cost tables for Windows, External Doors etc., Conservatory, External Carpentry, Internal Carpentry, Electrical, Plumbing, and Internal Plastering. Each table has columns for Budget, Actual cost, Supplier, and Notes, and includes a total row with pound signs.

IMAGE: The final budget-planning page contains tables for Kitchen & Bathroom Suites, Landscaping, Decoration, and Contingency. The Contingency table states “Allow 10% of overall build costs” and ends with “GRAND TOTAL”; all tables have Budget, Actual cost, Supplier, and Notes columns.