cost aside can I dig a big hole under my house?

Mistermeaner

Assuming I own the freehold for my house and garden and that I am able to address any issues of cost and engineering, including avoiding services and preserving the structural integrity of mine and my neighbours houses, can I dig downwards indefinitely?

Assume I would need to make my hole conical such as to allow for the spherical shape of the earth as I approached the centre so that I don't encroach into my neighbours territory? Or at a certain depth is it ok to expand sideways?

CLAPTON

no
...........................................

HappyMJ

ggb1979 wrote: »

Assuming I own the freehold for my house and garden and that I am able to address any issues of cost and engineering, including avoiding services and preserving the structural integrity of mine and my neighbours houses, can I dig downwards indefinitely?

Assume I would need to make my hole conical such as to allow for the spherical shape of the earth as I approached the centre so that I don't encroach into my neighbours territory? Or at a certain depth is it ok to expand sideways?

As long as you get planning permission you can build downwards as far as you can.

Google iceberg homes and you might get an idea about them.

PasturesNew

You'd need permission from the Australian authorities, in case you got that far. They're not keen on illegal aliens arriving without the correct paperwork.

Laughing aside, generally the answer is that some rich bugg4h probably owns some rights under your house. If you google, say: Prince Charles Talskiddy you'll see he took an entire village by surprise last year.

Landofwood

I doubt you'll get planning permission.

PasturesNew

Landofwood wrote: »

I doubt you'll get planning permission.

I don't think he wants to .... it's Saturday night, I bet he was sitting there contemplating the fluff in his belly button and wondered "...how far down......"

Don't you ever wonder odd stuff?

Norman_Castle

Assume I would need to make my hole conical such as to allow for the spherical shape of the earth as I approached the centre so that I don't encroach into my neighbours territory? Or at a certain depth is it ok to expand sideways?

What exactly are you planning. How deep?. You could discuss this with your neighbors although you may get sectioned.

mystic_trev

Why don't you just buy a house above a disused mine?

Mistermeaner

Was just wondering is all.

When I was kid I used to love digging holes, but my dad would never let me.

Now I've got my own house and spade he can't stop me but I was wondering who else could.

I believe in the good ol USA, subject to anyone having mineral rights, you can go nuts and dig as far as you like.

At what point then to either (a) not own the land under your house or (b) need planning permission?

SeduLOUs

I think you're confusing the real world with Minecraft!

Interesting question though...

cells

The cost will kill your project

At about £20/ton its going to cost you at least £1k for each meter you go down just to dispose of the soil and a hell of a lot more to make the hole stable.

I was reading about a theoretical way to drill holes really rapidly. If you fire a projectile down at a high enough velocity when it hits the ground the two materials act like a fluid and you get a nice hole drilled rapidly. A bit like firing a bullet into water but you need much higher speeds.