New build - garden sloping, not sure of rights?

Davesnave

carefullycautious said:

I would rather have not had the turf laid so that I could level the ground out with a rake and then used a garden roller over it.

If you'd ever done work such as this, you'd know that a rake and a roller wouldn't do that. Besides, turf is great for hiding a multiplicity of sins under the ground near the house! I'm still digging up whole bricks from the construction of our bungalow in 1974. This shows how well previous owners have cultivated the ground in the intervening years.

AdrianC

RelievedSheff said:

That is there so they didn't have to build a wall. As someone else has pointed out the alternative was to have a steeper slope along the whole garden from the plot to the boundary.

I doubt the developers will do anything about this without it costing you money. They won't have budgeted for a retaining wall of any kind and to reduce the slope in your garden would also affect the gardens of the adjacent plots so the costs soon start to escalate.

And, of course, the planning issues in having a retaining wall that high.

Soot2006

Easy enough to build a 2-3 railway sleeper boundary, infill and reseed the lawn. Cheaper than a wall and will also allow water drainage so you don't end up with a swimming pool garden. I can't imagine that bringing the ground level up for that tiny space will interest the planners much, especially if it's with "temporary materials" ... Ahem ...

I agree that little bit of slope is annoying, but it's easy enough to integrate into landscaping.

I've done similar by hand, as we couldn't get machine in (gulp) and it made a much better visual.

buel10

AdrianC said:

carefullycautious said:

I would rather have not had the turf laid so that I could level the ground out with a rake and then used a garden roller over it.

Turf was probably an extra-cost option.

It wasn't.

Brock_and_Roll

On the bright side, flooding is not going to a problem.
I would be more worried about whether the nice field view would become "Barratt" view during my ownership!

Davesnave

Brock_and_Roll said:

On the bright side, flooding is not going to a problem.
I would be more worried about whether the nice field view would become "Barratt" view during my ownership!

Which is why I wouldn't bemoan the 'loss' of the space, but get it levelled up, maybe with sleepers as suggested, and  then plant into it with stuff of a suitable height and density to ameliorate that kind of problem, even if it seems only a distant threat.

It's a known unknown. Next to the bungalow I inherited, a field sat awaiting the arrival of Messrs Charles Church, but they didn't turn up for 20 years. After they did, and protected by my Dad's planting, it turned out  better than having acres of thistles and other wild stuff seeding about next door.

buel10

Some great points here but I add this:
The gradual slope is not a problem as I agree - no flooding issue.
The steep slope is an issue for me (we have two small children and don't want them toppling down there) but the good news is that I spoke to a member of the Developer's team today and he seemed sure it can be levelled but perhaps the fence will then need highering(a word?) too. I will chase this up later today. Fingers crossed.

They are also relaying that strip of grass. However.......I am bracing myself for this......here is what is under the turf....to my layperson eyes it looks like a solid / firm surface with sand?

blue_max_3

buel10 said:

They are also relaying that strip of grass. However.......I am bracing myself for this......here is what is under the turf....to my layperson eyes it looks like a solid / firm surface with sand?

That's why they use turf, so they can bury all their waste! The amount of that metal strapping that surrounds building material I had under mine was amazing!

[Deleted User]

My house was built in the 70's.  I don't think a single gardener has lived in it since.  I am trying to level it and pulling out bricks and metal building items, gloves, and other rubbish.  Of course the metal building items are in the soil vertically so i have to dig hem out lol.  Oh well, its cheaper than going to the gym.

UnderOffer

blue_max_3 said:

buel10 said:

They are also relaying that strip of grass. However.......I am bracing myself for this......here is what is under the turf....to my layperson eyes it looks like a solid / firm surface with sand?

That's why they use turf, so they can bury all their waste! The amount of that metal strapping that surrounds building material I had under mine was amazing!

Yes, my neighbour dug up actual bags of rubble! ie plastic bags filled with rubble that had been left, buried and turfed on top.