Not sure if this has been stated before, but it makes perfect sense for Colin to do it retrospectively, since in his very unique case, his goal is the content, after its built, even is he has to remove the tunnel, he'll already have the content, videos and revenue.
That is one way of looking at it but my goal with the video was to show how this approach is not suitable for the average person. Also, building it without the necessary statutory approvals would void any insurance, so in the event of injury or damage to neighbouring property, Colin would probably be personally liable.
You did say, specifically Colin, took a gamble by not getting planning permission first. He didn't gamble though, he had to maintain secrecy due to the value of the content he was creating. Even if permission had not been granted in the end, he could have dragged that process on for ages and made more content from the drama... So, no gamble. I also think it's likely he's receiving advice from an independent building control officer to ensure he's gathering suitable evidence at each stage of construction and isn't going to make any major errors which can't later be corrected/updated. There's no reason he can't do it all retrospectively and be very safe in doing so, so long as he's sensible.
@@softwashscience I convinced myself a long time ago that he owns the properties either side of him already. Nor does he even live in that house, it's a studio.
I feel this video should not have been made and should be a discussion between you and Colin if you disagree with what he is doing. Watching your video just seems like you are hating on his creativity of this project and for some reason don't want him to build it. Just because we have opinions doesn't mean we should always voice them.
Just another scumbay hater, looking to gain attention from all the "Karen and Kens" in the world to subscribe to his channel. (Real Life Architecture - 21.2K subscribers)😂😂compared to (colinfurze - 13M+ subscribers)
And rightly so. If everyone was diligent, it wouldn't be necessary but same reason we have police, some people are careless and some are wicked. Carelessness endangers other people, not just the householder. Unfortunately, funding cuts mean the officials are understaffed, underpaid, and often contracted out so the machinery works slowly.
@@cuebjwhoa easy there Hitler jr. your country isn't nazi Germany for a year at least. Don't jump the gun so soon. I know you want to kill and rape your neighbors but can you at least wait for it in silence like the rest of us
I admire his ingenuity. He's doing a pretty good job. You need to complain about people burying shipping containers. They are not meant to be Underground.
Who cares about the legalities, the most important thing here is that this guy is a living legend. Colin has given youtube viewers endless amounts of entertainment, fun and excitement while displaying his varied and clever skillset. I'm sure his antics have been replicated by many men in their sheds before, during and after covid. His never been done before capers im sure will continue across the globe for many years to come so a massive congratulations on his achievements. Hats off to that man. Keep up the good work Col 😀👍👍👍nice 1.
Tell you what, if Colin comes to Man and breaches some angling / fishing regulations I won’t have a go if you patiently explain where he went wrong so that any of his 12M subscribers don’t do the same.
@@RealLifeArchitecture I wouldn't "assume" to know what rules or regs he may or may not have broken (to chuck out clickbait) based purely on what he chooses to make public via youtube, it's edited entertainment, not a documentary. But that's just me, I don't get reaction videos or compilations either.
@@IOMFishing for clarity, I did more than just rely on what Colin chose to publish. I found his property history on the local authority website and looked into his statutory approvals record. I discussed that in the video. Fair enough of you don’t like videos like this but the point isn’t to have a go at Colin, it’s to show how the system is supposed to work. This is my area of professional expertise.
@@RealLifeArchitecture Ah I must have missed the research part, in that case fair play, put in the effort to create something unique, deserve the exposure.
External materials are often a big deal for planning departments on listed buildings and in conservation areas. If the house was thatched it was probably one or the other, maybe even both.
In my experience, what the planners decide is somewhat of a lottery. My neighbour broke planning and put in a retrospective application which was refused on what appeared to be very clear grounds. However, on appeal it was granted with no alterations required. It seemed that the two officials involved making these decisions had completely different opinions and once the second had granted there was nothing anyone could do - apparently.
@@RealLifeArchitecture unlikely. He's extremely well known and well liked, and planning offices like all state offices political in nature. He may have been rejected before hand but no way after the fact. Its like the Eiffel tower. Eiffel only way able to get it built by pretending it was a temporary structure for the World's Fair. No one wanted to let him put it up for permanent use because they said it was going to be an ugly eyesore. He then just left it up, once it was famous and well-received. This obviously wouldn't work for Colin's viewers, but then they don't have millions of subscribers.
@@relativisticvel you may have a point, there is only one Colin Furze, but there are 12m subscribers and rules are rules. I don’t like them any more that the next guy but it’s better people are aware of them so they can draw their own conclusions.
I started building a giant 1000sqft covered patio last year without submitting plans and rolled the dice myself. Almost finished now. Because of the pandemic and the building craze, trusses were years out. I just couldn't wait with the 100 degree weather on the back side of the house and the skyrocketing price of lumber in the states, so I decided to make my own last fall. I first had to make my own 50-ton hydraulic press to press the gusset plates. That was a huge job all by itself. Things were going great erecting the roof until I got a nasty legal letter in the mail. They were worried about my trusses not being designed by a certified structural engineer, but I told them I am an electrical engineer and this stuff is child's play. I showed them all the calculations and models I made that proved they were stronger than anything else the rest of the house was built with. Out of 2x8's and 2x6's on 16 inch centers. Huge beams and very strong beam connections and 6x6 posts. Each truss had a 1000lb uplift strap for wind. Yes, it's a gamble, and some old fart could have given me a ton of trouble. But I have so much dirt on the city building and planning department for what they passed off as good on our new home that I sailed right through when I showed them the differences in my design and build quality from the rest of the house. I was ready to go to battle with them in the courts and I'm sure I would have won and they knew it. Only thing I'm kicking myself now about is I should have documented it all and become a youtube sensation like the rest of these guys. It really turned out well. D'oh.
That’s sounds like a great project. I don’t know if a building standards department in the UK would make much fuss over covered patio. The thing to remember is that the folks at the council/city usually want an easy life and won’t cause problems unless someone does something egregious
I think you are helping a lot of ppl(especially me)understand how technical a build is and proper care will save the average person(definitely me)likely a lot of money and time!You didn't mention if you need certain certified ppl or yourself for things like electric etc,when doing all that work! Appreciate the heads up!
Next we'll find out that building a jet-powered bike and speeding down an airstrip is a bad idea too :) It really is amazing that Colin doesn't have disclaimers before his videos, but I would hope by this point that viewers know not to attempt anything he does.
Hi, my name is Neil, I'm a real life architect. Today I am presenting a video that is solely designed to try and get some attention to my channel by naming Colin Furze in a bid to attract more attention. I will use a clickbait title and if you are reading this comment, it worked on you too!
Its good to know the hidden boring information which isnt included in Colin's videos. It does explain theres more to building a tunnel and bunker than Just building a tunnel and Bunker. Thankyou for this informative video
What do architects know about designing buildings. Stage doors down always too narrow to get a van down ,old people's homes with steps everywhere. Nobody should be allowed to call themselves a architect until they have spent three months as a fireman ,three months as a delivery driver and three months in a wheelchair.
As a union carpenter I can tell you from experience, most architects never swung a hammer. They have lots of school and no experience. When there were problems, they came to me for answers. Stop being a git and leave him alone. Come up with some original content instead of hating on him. Too many Karen’s in this world.
I get that you are angry but you actually have a good idea there. In the UK architects must take a year out mid-way through their college education, to work in an Architects office. I worked on building sites during my summers while a student, I learned things no university could teach…
I don’t think he’s concerned he’s already said he’s never selling the house and even if he did it probably would be to a friend or family that would pay cash. Plus he gets about £30k a month! He’s planning another entrance and exit for safety. I reckon he’s building a car lift down into the tunnel!
I’ve heard him talk about the car lift but didn’t know he had mentioned his views on selling his house. His future plans aren’t relevant to compliance with the building regulations however.
I live in america and retrospective is the much preferred method for many of the same reasons. Overall it makes the project much easier, it ends up much closer to the original design intent, and is much cheaper in cost.
From what I’ve seen Colin has had a professional Structural Engineer doing all of the calculations on the tunnel as he has been doing it so shouldn’t be an issue getting the structural elements signed off 🤷🏻♂️
I know this video is a bit old, but you mentioned selling to someone but he already said the house can no longer be sold. Instead it can only be sold as bunker with a building attached. So it’s not likely to be mortgageable anyway.
It would be in 90% of the UK. There have been far smaller and much bigger builds that have been demanded to be torn down due to not applying beforehand.
Have a question in Australia we can not dig next to or under a house footing with out Underpinning first the house could move and crack my concern is at the front of this house.
He has already discussed selling his house. He stated that he can no longer sell his house traditionally, he has to sell the bunker that comes with a free house. so doubtful people could get a mortgage anyways. And hes always stated that the bunker/ tunnels will be used as storage for his gadgets (creating a bit of a "ultimate man-room")
I agree Neil, it’ll be hard for Colin to get a final certificate from building control, also he’ll only be able to use the local authority due to works having already started. As you mentioned there is plenty of evidence that can be provided but it’s whether a structural engineer would be satisfied to put their name against it. I agree his best option is to class it as a non-habitable space.
Thank you! There are dozens of comments on here from angry people who got triggered by the idea that they can’t just do whatever they want to their own property. The UK has a system for dealing with this, it isn’t perfect, but it’s better than nothing and I wanted to show how that system is supposed to work.
@@RealLifeArchitectureI found your video by looking up how the hell he's getting away with it, knowing how strict councils are around building, especially now.
One possible outcome without even watching this video. Colin makes a crapton of money from the year(s) worth of youtube videos he is able to make, then he's told to fill it all in with soil and cap it with concrete and pay a small fine for some planning breach / disturbing the earthworms. Still comes out a million dollars ahead. How's my guess?
@@RealLifeArchitecture Good video, I did watch it. Would he have built the bunker and tunnel if he didn't have a youtube audience to pay for failure in the works or the consents? You have to think that there are quite a few unconsented bunkers around the country / world never to be disclosed. Here's a crazy watch. ua-cam.com/video/afWbI8sUOnY/v-deo.html (Feb 14, 2012 Bomb Shelter House in Blaine WA.)
Man, your getting it tight for this one. Having enjoyed watching the tunnel series, I did wonder about building control and the other questions you raised. Having 30 year in construction as an electrician I have seen a lot of strange buildings, although not rocket science to build, Colin has made an excellent achievement by himself and his mate. Just got to wonder about the legalities of it all, especially if selling up. The solicitors would have a field day with it. Nice to see what a professional persons point of view is. Cheers
What’s the legalities on an extension that’s been built without building plans or planning permission? My girlfriend has bought a house and found out afterwards
@@StoutProper is this in the UK? Did she buy it without a mortgage? Lenders always insist on a survey which should uncover things like this. It might be ok if the was done a long time ago (this varies and is not guaranteed)
@@RealLifeArchitecture the extension was done about ten years ago according to the neighbours. Turns out a proper cowboy job as well, apparently the owners worked for the council at the time and did it themselves (they weren’t builders)
he basically paid off the neighbors by getting them involved in the process, so they wouldn't complain. It was very intelligently done. If he had applied first, it is likely he would have gotten rejected.
That’s an interesting perspective. I love the guy who swears constantly, he is good fun. The problem with your idea is that planning officers will apply rules to assess a proposed building even when no one objects. I’ve had applications refused despite no objections. The logic is that even if current neighbours don’t object, or even when the support an application, future occupants of the neighbouring building may take a different view. Buildings usually outlast their owners and the planning system tries to take account of this.
The old fella swearing a lot was amazed at the tunnel and said he had no idea it was there. That means Colin had been stealthy enough to not disturb the neighbours during the construction. The old fella wasn't being bought off by being invited to see it and help a bit. I'm sure if the guy had an opinion against it, he would have said something.
I was a Building Official in the Building Department of a City in Northern Indiana. In Indiana the State of Indiana adopts a "Building Code." It's up to a Local jurisdiction to create an agency, a Building Department which then enforces the Building Codes adopted by the State. For those of you not familiar with U.S. government. The Constitution of The United States describes the powers reserved to the Federal Government. The Constitution also says that those powers not specifically enumerated belong to the individual States. The various States have their own ways of regulating what gets built, where it gets built and how it gets built. In the jurisdiction where I worked had a Planing and Zoning Department which regulated where and what. The jurisdiction also had a Building Department. The Building Department was/is responsible to regulate the how of building. Does a specific building element comply with the Indiana Building Codes? In the case of Colin's bunker/bomb shelter. Both Planning & Zoning and Building would want to determine if it's a habitable space. As mentioned, stairs would be required in a habitable space. Two means of egress (exiting) would also be required. In the case of the tunnels, those are not likely to be habitable spaces and not require means of egress. It's very likely Planning & Zoning approval and a Building Permit would be required. The penalities do allow for a demolition to be ordered. However, there would be other ways to achieve compliance such as a letter and as built plans from a licensed structural engineer.
Thank you for your detailed description of procedure from Indiana. It seems things operate in a broadly similar fashion there as they do here. I am always interested to learn how design and construction operates in other countries.
@@RealLifeArchitecture Much U.S. law is derived from English Common Law, that by itself doesn't completely explain the parallels in practice. As you will recall, the Thirteen Colonies were founded on grants from the English Crown and had judicial systems and laws based on those in use in England.
I did not watch this to take a class on UK construction law. I watched it to see how his bunker and tunnel worked out from an architects point of view.
You make some valid points because as an engineer I had the same questions. I do believe you should have made this film. People unlike us will not understand because they are too sensitive and not attuned to consequences of one's actions. Just because you can do it, doesn't mean you should. Good luck with him trying to sell that house or pass it on as inheritance. Is he committing insurance fraud with his housing insurance? Only if he tries to claim.
These aren't residental rooms so building control and planning approval is not an issue most of the time. Outbuildings and non habitual rooms have less legal paperwork. But you're right, this impacts the foundations of the house, so it will need some engineering sign off.
While i get what you’re saying on this, the trouble with building a tunnel is it isn’t something that everbody does to their house. Extensions, loft conversions, garages etc, are all pretty similar and are easy enough to plan and show what materials you intend to use and how you intend to build it. With a tunnel and bunker in your garden, it’s not an easy thing to plan and show what’s used to build it without actually building it. So while building the tunnel without permission may be frowned upon, surely getting approval on something that already exists and can be shown to be safe and of sound construction is a lot easier than trying to explain what you’re intending to build and leaving it to the planning officer and building control guys imaginations!
An observation about building control - BC is intended to make sure all residential and habitable buildings meet minimum standards and as such covers things like natural lighting, egress/access and ventilation along with insulation and structural strength. - AFAIK there are no building control 'pro-forna' to cover protective bunkers which, by their obvious nature, cannot have 'natural' ventilation or lighting (windows) and would be built to withstand significant structural 'attack'. (or maybe there are BCs for bunkers - but joe publisic is not allowed to access them?) Colin's bunker and access tunnel would seem, from the construction videos published, to address the needs of a bunker - i.e. NO natural lighting NO natural (i.e. opening window) ventilation, NO direct access and significant strength. It is probably that the BCs have not caught up with the 'bunker' concept BUT given there are plenty of government bunkers around, which have legitimacy, maybe BC need to construct 'regulations', different to conventional building controls, to address the specific needs of bunkers and access tunnels. There will be thousands of homes in the UK with converted lofts and cellars where owners have not bothered with planning or building control so, unless Local Authorities are going to embark on a draconian enforcement regime I would think their best approach, in Colin's case, is to make an appropriate exemption from BC where there is no part of BC to cover the development. The only area where BC should probably seek a formal structural assessment would be where the tunnel engages with the house foundations. I'm sure that, given the construction videos, and no doubt other unpublished video, Colin would be able to get a structural signoffs for that element.
You have a point but I don’t agree on your last observation. There is a lot of footage for an engineer to review but if the materials and methods used by Colin are not sufficient, the engineers won’t ‘sign off’ on what has been built.
Just a question, when you say it will need insulation, why? Is it because of temp regulation? I thought as its underground the temperature is fairly well regulated. Or have I missed something?
If the space was to become legally habitable it would need to demonstrate the rate of heat loss from the interior. We now insulate solid floors as standard in the UK, because the ground under a building will be cooler than the building interior. Heat flows from hot to cold, unless insulation prevents it. It’s just physics. The bunker and tunnel are surrounded by ground and while the temperature will be constant, it will be lower than a desirable internal temperatures
@@RealLifeArchitecturedesirable by the government. It's okay buddy. We know you're a fed. Try hide it next time. Care to explain why tf would government dictate what temp YOU should be comfortable with in YOUR house? 😂😂😂
What’s the point of this? He’s got 12 million people watching im sure the government is keeping a good eye on him or he would be shut down. Everyone knows there are permits and approval be we don’t care we just want to see his build
As a builder, it's nice to see the face of what we refer to as a walking clipboard... It's people like you who take the scenario of 1 historically failed project and demand every project be over engineered after that. It's just an assumption game with you lot. Making life harder for the rest to justify your job... Just like HSE demand a hard hat on an open field with no plant equipment because the land is allocated for construction, bureaucratic unwarranted bs. The fact you've tried to out Furze for clicks proves my point.
"Colin Rolled a dice here..." No I think there was probably a big brown envelope exchanged at some point (loading the dice). My issue was always about the cost of these tunnelling projects. Also water loves a lower level void.
There is a wonderful world that is only comprehensible and enjoyable beyond giving too much respect to the vast majorty of bureaucracy in the world today. I know you know it too.
Elon Musk stated that regarding his Boring company that he didn't need legal approval for a tunnel, but you need approval for where you go down/up with the opening. He said something about you dont own the ground under your land. He also said you can go deeper in many levels if you want more room for many tunnels/roads. I don't know how it works by law, but I figure if someone should make a tunnel under the city and your house some meters below you don't need approval for all landowners/houses above.
Hmm, I get what you are trying to show and technically, you are correct. But the tone and insinuation suggest that you don't actually approve of, or like what @colinfurze has done. His channel is superb and I am sure he is doing these things in full knowledge of any complications down the line. Take his channel for what it is, entertainment.
Here is a question I have always wondered when building an underground bunker / shelter what ever you want to call it. You build them for a reason to survive any "end of world" scenario. The UK government has a nac for putting barriers in place of everything. I heard the councils will submit any plans to neighbours to confirm they have no issues with the builds going ahead. This makes sense in light of a new 2 story extension going up for blocking light etc. However if the build is not going near your neighbours does the council / authority body still submit these plans to your neighbours? This kind of negates the "secret bunker" part and should anything happen you would have half the street knocking at your door and your safety plan for your family becomes pointless. Do these kind of builds / plans get submitted to neighbours to raise any issues? Very informative does make you sigh though at how many hoops have to be jumped through. Thanks
There are a lot of hoops, no doubt. The planning system doesn’t do “secret” for regular properties. There is a separate system for buildings concerned with national security.
Yes. UK is an authoritarian dictatorship. You are and will never be allowed to ensure your and your family survival in case of apocalypse. Monarchy and elites don't want to share nuclear wasteland with peasants. Hell, they don't want you to be able to survive and thrive RIGHT NOW, what makes you think they would want that at the end of the world?
1 bit of information that is overlooked. If your building a secret tunnel or bunker. (And it was a secret, his neighbour didn't have a clue the tunnel was getting built) the only issue is if you go to sell your house but what if like many of us, you don't plan to sell your house. You want to live in it till you die. Then it isn't an issue.
It becomes an issue for whoever inherits the house. I’ve seen this numerous times over the years, where someone tries to sell a property they inherit but can’t because their parents carries out unauthorised alterations. The building regulations in the UK place the legal responsibility for compliance on the owner, even if the previous owner carried out the work. The moment someone new inherits a property it becomes their problem.
I'm pretty sure he was told that it's no longer a house, but a bunker with a house (not a house with a bunker) and as far as the tunnel goes he would like to get verified as 'access to the bunker' not a living space or storage
@@ThatCoolKidYouKnow I'm not sure but I believe it's because the bunker's intended use is primarily as a shelter against 'war efforts' (in lack of a better term) specially fortified and separate from the house itself
@@ThatCoolKidYouKnowA basement would be classed as an extension of the living space and therefore has to follow certain regs. The classification is crucial to making the project possible, without it the regs are extremely tight and probably impossible if it was classed as a living space. A bunker is a temporary living space for fallout and I would assume has very loose regs deliberately in order to make cheap shelters accessible if necessary in the event of war.
I’m thinking that he had a big enough following and his revenue would cover any future costs. Even if he is required to undue the work, he’s probably going to get very rich, which is not the same outcome for others not following the building codes.
Does not having build control signoff effect his house mortgage and building insurance? Does colin need to inform his insurance and mortgage provider of the alterations he has made? If colin came to sell his property would his alterations make it difficult for a mortgage lender to provide a product to a prospective buyer? Would there need to be imdeminity insurance taken out?
I mentioned possible implications for mortgages in the video but it’s speculation. I am trying to set up a video with a mortgage specialist to discuss this.
First off, I don’t share his address or how I found it. Looking up building plans isn’t as simple as you think. Give it a go, see how far you get. You need to know where someone lives before you start looking for plans. That said, I was amazed Colin hadn’t taken steps to conceal his address. It’s took me less than 60 seconds to work it out. I’ve been contacted by several people asking me to share it, which is very scary. Of course I don’t want anyone finding Colin’s address but he put it on numerous databases, in the public domain and made it very easy, if you know where to look. I wasn’t trying to be gratuitous, the issues I raised have a genuine public interest. As mentioned in the video, I have dealt with people who did things the same way Colin did and fell foul of the system. He got lucky.
@@RealLifeArchitecture you are trying to get views of his name.. AND you have pretty much snitched on him.. It is not that hard to find him and it only takes one person to do it and spread the word...
Exactly, this video didn’t need to focus so heavily on Colin, the video could have been made without Colin entirely, but that wouldn’t click bait away his fans now would it.
In the states you need 3 building permits for a dock in some places. If you have two and build it, the city will make you tear it down and charge you by the day till it's removed. Collin does some cool projects, and working in solid limestone, I don't think he's doing much risk to anyone. The tunnel is built very strong as well. Building approval or not Collin is probably a bad ass to have as a neighbor. In the event of a tornado you know he will probably let his neighbors huddle in there. It would be sad if some prick caused his dreams and everyone's entertainment to be cut short. You went kinda far looking up plans and single him out. Which isn't really cool in my opinion. Yea you have a point but you could have been more general with it. And maybe gave examples of what could happen. But pulling on coat tails of someone who put a lot of blood and sweat into its construction. If you had a real concern with the safety or structure he was building maybe this would be called for. Not sure who will hire a architect that checks if the dishwasher had a permit
Thanks for the video 📹 it really explains why doing something without permission is not the best route to take and the explanation of why the permissions given is always the best way to go. I rent a property in a HMO but I am still making sure before I actually place a shed for storage but I'm making sure of the location so that I am not blocking any safety access in case of any emergency so thank you for the help 👍 🍻
@@RealLifeArchitecture Colin was upfront in a very recent video of his about Planning Approval. You come across as though you are targeting him & trying to increase your views.
@@ZIMsar10 I made this video in direct response to Colin’s video about retrospective planning approval. This is a risky and unnecessary way to organise any project. Colin also didn’t address building regulations approval, and that is of equal legal status to planning.
There's no reason why you must ask your government overlord permission to build on your land. We abolished serfdom for a reason. Your horsefaced nation wants to bring it back and force the rest of the world to submit to it
Lemme just ask my local nanny-state for technical approval of a thing that doesn't exist or have any comparisons before that we necessarily have to adjust as we find things, on my own property. Never mind that each 'adjustment' will have to go through the whole process again for every single change. That'll speed the process right up.
The funny thing is the shirts who sit behind a desk who make the rules of what you can and cannot do at the same time pay someone to put an ikea shelf up with instructions because they’ve never had dirty hands and search on line for a left handed screwdriver……. As a builder of 20+ years I wouldn’t house a dog in a new build following this days ‘rules’
Is it even classed as a dwelling anymore? It's a production studio, nobody has lived there for yonks. You never see the immediate neighbours either. So I suspect he/his production company own those as well.
Good points you raised but I'm not sure why you need insulation when the air temperature under ground is so much more stable. He's unlikely to need heating and better thermal performance than the house. As for structural strength, concrete with the steel liner will be much stronger than the brick it is supporting and given it's all sat on lime stone, it ain't going anywhere.
I wouldn't be surprised if he owns the houses next to him already. The local farmers don't mind him doing whatever he wants. But don't dig under foundations without consent.
@@RealLifeArchitecture must be a lot more than 1 in 12 million. I mean if there’s 60 in the whole of the U.K. that’s 1 in a million, and there’s must be at least 10 000 surely?
@@StoutProper your figures assume Colin’s videos are watched exclusively by UK residents. I’ve had comments from various countries on this one, including from people in the US who work in the building codes / approvals sector. That said, my channel gets regular comments from UK architects.
So in other words move out of the UK asap because you don’t have rights or freedoms to do stuff with your own property, even if it literally doesn’t effect anyone else
So, outta the goodness of his heart, he snoops around looking for building permits ! This is why you can't own anything, because the government has placed laws that represent Big Gov. As for me I don't care what my neighbors do. As far as the resale value, there are people out there including me that would love to have a underground bunker just like Colins.
Not to mention he managed to pull Colin's address. If anything he's a stalker at least and a snitch at most. He's so jealous he's probably doxxed Colin already
Stupid concern troll video. And you seem to ignore that Colin makes video content for profit and that affects the approach massively. This is not the same thing as building something to actually use privately.
@@RealLifeArchitecture .... what I mean is that the first word is so regulated that there is no wiggle room for movement. Technocrats and regulators stifle everything to death in the name of the greater good...
@@mmp8833 I may be a know it all and a smart ass but I also have two university degrees, a professional qualification and 13 years experience running my own business. You are welcome to disagree with what I said in the video but unless you bring something more than snarky comments you are wasting everyone’s time.
He probably doesn’t care , the number of subscribers he has means he will be earning millions ,far in excess of what his house is worth and so we’ll worth the risk
I think at the end of the day Colin probably doesn't even care if he can't sell that house at market value, he's living pretty humbly given the size of his channel. I just look up where he lives and it's the same town I live in 😂, I had no clue 😂😂.
Just a further warning after 1st October 2023, the time limit for English Building Regulations enforcement has been changed to ten tears, so be so warned!! Building Safety Act 2022 has made several fundamental changes to the original Building Act of 1984. Yes, the building control laws are different in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland and , of course , the Republic of Ireland. #registered building inspector #old_building_regulations_surveyor
Yes, underground buildings are still subject to the English Building Regulations. The bomb shelter exemption is very hard to satisfy if any other use is mode of the space.
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Not sure if this has been stated before, but it makes perfect sense for Colin to do it retrospectively, since in his very unique case, his goal is the content, after its built, even is he has to remove the tunnel, he'll already have the content, videos and revenue.
That is one way of looking at it but my goal with the video was to show how this approach is not suitable for the average person.
Also, building it without the necessary statutory approvals would void any insurance, so in the event of injury or damage to neighbouring property, Colin would probably be personally liable.
You did say, specifically Colin, took a gamble by not getting planning permission first. He didn't gamble though, he had to maintain secrecy due to the value of the content he was creating. Even if permission had not been granted in the end, he could have dragged that process on for ages and made more content from the drama... So, no gamble.
I also think it's likely he's receiving advice from an independent building control officer to ensure he's gathering suitable evidence at each stage of construction and isn't going to make any major errors which can't later be corrected/updated.
There's no reason he can't do it all retrospectively and be very safe in doing so, so long as he's sensible.
@@RealLifeArchitecturethe guy has 12 million subs he could buy the whole entire block lol.
@@softwashscience I convinced myself a long time ago that he owns the properties either side of him already. Nor does he even live in that house, it's a studio.
@@markrainford1219 true
If Colin had applied first he would have been refused, having started he was able to show the planning officer exactly what he was doing.
There’s always someone who wants to piss on your fire
I feel this video should not have been made and should be a discussion between you and Colin if you disagree with what he is doing. Watching your video just seems like you are hating on his creativity of this project and for some reason don't want him to build it. Just because we have opinions doesn't mean we should always voice them.
I agree 100 percent
Just another scumbay hater, looking to gain attention from all the "Karen and Kens" in the world to subscribe to his channel. (Real Life Architecture - 21.2K subscribers)😂😂compared to (colinfurze - 13M+ subscribers)
The thing I learned from this video is that building something requires a boatload of bureaucracy.
It was probably always thus
And rightly so. If everyone was diligent, it wouldn't be necessary but same reason we have police, some people are careless and some are wicked. Carelessness endangers other people, not just the householder.
Unfortunately, funding cuts mean the officials are understaffed, underpaid, and often contracted out so the machinery works slowly.
Do you have a license to apply for these licenses mate?
@@cuebjwhoa easy there Hitler jr. your country isn't nazi Germany for a year at least. Don't jump the gun so soon. I know you want to kill and rape your neighbors but can you at least wait for it in silence like the rest of us
Indeed. Architects and bureaucrats need to make work for themselves.
This is why he was very secretive about dirt removal.
I admire his ingenuity. He's doing a pretty good job. You need to complain about people burying shipping containers. They are not meant to be Underground.
Who cares about the legalities, the most important thing here is that this guy is a living legend. Colin has given youtube viewers endless amounts of entertainment, fun and excitement while displaying his varied and clever skillset. I'm sure his antics have been replicated by many men in their sheds before, during and after covid.
His never been done before capers im sure will continue across the globe for many years to come so a massive congratulations on his achievements.
Hats off to that man.
Keep up the good work Col 😀👍👍👍nice 1.
Blah blah blah...interpreted as "I just want to feed off someone else's popularity and hopefully get to the point I can show ads"
Tell you what, if Colin comes to Man and breaches some angling / fishing regulations I won’t have a go if you patiently explain where he went wrong so that any of his 12M subscribers don’t do the same.
@@RealLifeArchitecture I wouldn't "assume" to know what rules or regs he may or may not have broken (to chuck out clickbait) based purely on what he chooses to make public via youtube, it's edited entertainment, not a documentary. But that's just me, I don't get reaction videos or compilations either.
@@IOMFishing for clarity, I did more than just rely on what Colin chose to publish. I found his property history on the local authority website and looked into his statutory approvals record. I discussed that in the video.
Fair enough of you don’t like videos like this but the point isn’t to have a go at Colin, it’s to show how the system is supposed to work. This is my area of professional expertise.
@@RealLifeArchitecture Ah I must have missed the research part, in that case fair play, put in the effort to create something unique, deserve the exposure.
@@IOMFishing thanks for understanding, that’s what I am aiming for with this channel.
I used to thatch roofs, I heard about someone using the wrong Reed on their roof and the council had them strip the roof and use another type of Reed.
External materials are often a big deal for planning departments on listed buildings and in conservation areas. If the house was thatched it was probably one or the other, maybe even both.
@@RealLifeArchitecture1984 moment 😂😂😂😂
In my experience, what the planners decide is somewhat of a lottery. My neighbour broke planning and put in a retrospective application which was refused on what appeared to be very clear grounds. However, on appeal it was granted with no alterations required. It seemed that the two officials involved making these decisions had completely different opinions and once the second had granted there was nothing anyone could do - apparently.
One thing to note is that the bunker was permitted retroactively as well.
Interesting, if he keeps doing this he will eventually get caught out
@@RealLifeArchitecture unlikely. He's extremely well known and well liked, and planning offices like all state offices political in nature. He may have been rejected before hand but no way after the fact.
Its like the Eiffel tower. Eiffel only way able to get it built by pretending it was a temporary structure for the World's Fair. No one wanted to let him put it up for permanent use because they said it was going to be an ugly eyesore. He then just left it up, once it was famous and well-received.
This obviously wouldn't work for Colin's viewers, but then they don't have millions of subscribers.
@@relativisticvel you may have a point, there is only one Colin Furze, but there are 12m subscribers and rules are rules. I don’t like them any more that the next guy but it’s better people are aware of them so they can draw their own conclusions.
@@relativisticvel he will probably have an underground elevator and a missle silo in a few years. 😂
@@relativisticvelutter bollocks, you can talk about Eiffel tower all you want, you have no idea what the jobsworths at councils can be like.
I started building a giant 1000sqft covered patio last year without submitting plans and rolled the dice myself. Almost finished now. Because of the pandemic and the building craze, trusses were years out. I just couldn't wait with the 100 degree weather on the back side of the house and the skyrocketing price of lumber in the states, so I decided to make my own last fall. I first had to make my own 50-ton hydraulic press to press the gusset plates. That was a huge job all by itself. Things were going great erecting the roof until I got a nasty legal letter in the mail. They were worried about my trusses not being designed by a certified structural engineer, but I told them I am an electrical engineer and this stuff is child's play. I showed them all the calculations and models I made that proved they were stronger than anything else the rest of the house was built with. Out of 2x8's and 2x6's on 16 inch centers. Huge beams and very strong beam connections and 6x6 posts. Each truss had a 1000lb uplift strap for wind.
Yes, it's a gamble, and some old fart could have given me a ton of trouble. But I have so much dirt on the city building and planning department for what they passed off as good on our new home that I sailed right through when I showed them the differences in my design and build quality from the rest of the house. I was ready to go to battle with them in the courts and I'm sure I would have won and they knew it. Only thing I'm kicking myself now about is I should have documented it all and become a youtube sensation like the rest of these guys. It really turned out well. D'oh.
That’s sounds like a great project. I don’t know if a building standards department in the UK would make much fuss over covered patio. The thing to remember is that the folks at the council/city usually want an easy life and won’t cause problems unless someone does something egregious
I think you are helping a lot of ppl(especially me)understand how technical a build is and proper care will save the average person(definitely me)likely a lot of money and time!You didn't mention if you need certain certified ppl or yourself for things like electric etc,when doing all that work! Appreciate the heads up!
No problem, glad you found this useful. New wiring and plumbing needs to be certified by qualified and registered trades.
Next we'll find out that building a jet-powered bike and speeding down an airstrip is a bad idea too :)
It really is amazing that Colin doesn't have disclaimers before his videos, but I would hope by this point that viewers know not to attempt anything he does.
More power to him, I love his videos but this issue gave me a chance to discuss my area of professional expertise
Why bother? As uf a disclaimer has stiped anyone...
@@biohazardlnfS stopping people isn’t the point of a disclaimer.
Hi, my name is Neil, I'm a real life architect. Today I am presenting a video that is solely designed to try and get some attention to my channel by naming Colin Furze in a bid to attract more attention. I will use a clickbait title and if you are reading this comment, it worked on you too!
Its good to know the hidden boring information which isnt included in Colin's videos. It does explain theres more to building a tunnel and bunker than Just building a tunnel and Bunker. Thankyou for this informative video
Thank you for for your kind comment, it makes a pleasant change for the negative attitude some people have about the video.
What do architects know about designing buildings. Stage doors down always too narrow to get a van down ,old people's homes with steps everywhere. Nobody should be allowed to call themselves a architect until they have spent three months as a fireman ,three months as a delivery driver and three months in a wheelchair.
As a union carpenter I can tell you from experience, most architects never swung a hammer. They have lots of school and no experience. When there were problems, they came to me for answers. Stop being a git and leave him alone. Come up with some original content instead of hating on him. Too many Karen’s in this world.
I get that you are angry but you actually have a good idea there. In the UK architects must take a year out mid-way through their college education, to work in an Architects office.
I worked on building sites during my summers while a student, I learned things no university could teach…
@@dave61242 I think Colin is amazing.
Amen brother.
He's got me digging !
How would they demolish a tunnel? Or would they concrete it in? Interesting to know how they tackle the task!
I don’t think he’s concerned he’s already said he’s never selling the house and even if he did it probably would be to a friend or family that would pay cash. Plus he gets about £30k a month! He’s planning another entrance and exit for safety. I reckon he’s building a car lift down into the tunnel!
I’ve heard him talk about the car lift but didn’t know he had mentioned his views on selling his house. His future plans aren’t relevant to compliance with the building regulations however.
I live in america and retrospective is the much preferred method for many of the same reasons. Overall it makes the project much easier, it ends up much closer to the original design intent, and is much cheaper in cost.
It is possible to do the same in the UK but it comes with legal risks.
I'm guessing Colin has already used a structural engineer, they probably just want to remain anonymous.
The problem is he doesn’t make this clear. Plenty of people do work without an engineer, sometimes it stands up…
@@RealLifeArchitecture the problem is your jealous because he has planning approval….
@@matthewticer8686 you're a rather strange little fellow aren't you.
@@Markknightexeter He hasn't drugs in his system since his mom found out she was pregnant.
@@matthewticer8686he got permission after the fact. Meanwhile many buildings much safer have been demolished.
You sound American.
From what I’ve seen Colin has had a professional Structural Engineer doing all of the calculations on the tunnel as he has been doing it so shouldn’t be an issue getting the structural elements signed off 🤷🏻♂️
I know this video is a bit old, but you mentioned selling to someone but he already said the house can no longer be sold. Instead it can only be sold as bunker with a building attached. So it’s not likely to be mortgageable anyway.
Here in Germany, getting permission in retrospective for this tunnel would be unthinkable...
Thank you. What consequences would a property owner face of they did this?
It would be in 90% of the UK.
There have been far smaller and much bigger builds that have been demanded to be torn down due to not applying beforehand.
@@RealLifeArchitecture At minimum a fine of maybe 500€ and the obligation to tear it down.
Have a question in Australia we can not dig next to or under a house footing with out Underpinning first the house could move and crack my concern is at the front of this house.
He has already discussed selling his house. He stated that he can no longer sell his house traditionally, he has to sell the bunker that comes with a free house. so doubtful people could get a mortgage anyways. And hes always stated that the bunker/ tunnels will be used as storage for his gadgets (creating a bit of a "ultimate man-room")
I agree Neil, it’ll be hard for Colin to get a final certificate from building control, also he’ll only be able to use the local authority due to works having already started. As you mentioned there is plenty of evidence that can be provided but it’s whether a structural engineer would be satisfied to put their name against it. I agree his best option is to class it as a non-habitable space.
Thank you! There are dozens of comments on here from angry people who got triggered by the idea that they can’t just do whatever they want to their own property. The UK has a system for dealing with this, it isn’t perfect, but it’s better than nothing and I wanted to show how that system is supposed to work.
@@RealLifeArchitectureI found your video by looking up how the hell he's getting away with it, knowing how strict councils are around building, especially now.
It is in the ground. Year round temperature controlled insulation.
Not unless the ground temperature is the same as room temperature. If the ground is colder heat will flow from warm to cold.
One possible outcome without even watching this video. Colin makes a crapton of money from the year(s) worth of youtube videos he is able to make, then he's told to fill it all in with soil and cap it with concrete and pay a small fine for some planning breach / disturbing the earthworms. Still comes out a million dollars ahead. How's my guess?
That’s the first time anyone commented on one of my videos BEFORE it launched!
I’m not going to give away the ending 🤣
@@RealLifeArchitecture Good video, I did watch it. Would he have built the bunker and tunnel if he didn't have a youtube audience to pay for failure in the works or the consents? You have to think that there are quite a few unconsented bunkers around the country / world never to be disclosed. Here's a crazy watch. ua-cam.com/video/afWbI8sUOnY/v-deo.html (Feb 14, 2012 Bomb Shelter House in Blaine WA.)
Man, your getting it tight for this one. Having enjoyed watching the tunnel series, I did wonder about building control and the other questions you raised. Having 30 year in construction as an electrician I have seen a lot of strange buildings, although not rocket science to build, Colin has made an excellent achievement by himself and his mate. Just got to wonder about the legalities of it all, especially if selling up. The solicitors would have a field day with it. Nice to see what a professional persons point of view is. Cheers
Thank you, it’s great to get a supportive comment!
What’s the legalities on an extension that’s been built without building plans or planning permission? My girlfriend has bought a house and found out afterwards
@@StoutProper is this in the UK? Did she buy it without a mortgage? Lenders always insist on a survey which should uncover things like this. It might be ok if the was done a long time ago (this varies and is not guaranteed)
@@RealLifeArchitecture no it was 5 years ago and I think she had a small mortgage?
@@RealLifeArchitecture the extension was done about ten years ago according to the neighbours. Turns out a proper cowboy job as well, apparently the owners worked for the council at the time and did it themselves (they weren’t builders)
he basically paid off the neighbors by getting them involved in the process, so they wouldn't complain. It was very intelligently done. If he had applied first, it is likely he would have gotten rejected.
That’s an interesting perspective. I love the guy who swears constantly, he is good fun.
The problem with your idea is that planning officers will apply rules to assess a proposed building even when no one objects. I’ve had applications refused despite no objections.
The logic is that even if current neighbours don’t object, or even when the support an application, future occupants of the neighbouring building may take a different view. Buildings usually outlast their owners and the planning system tries to take account of this.
The old fella swearing a lot was amazed at the tunnel and said he had no idea it was there. That means Colin had been stealthy enough to not disturb the neighbours during the construction. The old fella wasn't being bought off by being invited to see it and help a bit. I'm sure if the guy had an opinion against it, he would have said something.
I was a Building Official in the Building Department of a City in Northern Indiana. In Indiana the State of Indiana adopts a "Building
Code." It's up to a Local jurisdiction to create an agency, a Building Department which then enforces the Building Codes adopted by the State. For those of you not familiar with U.S. government. The Constitution of The United States describes the powers reserved to the Federal Government. The Constitution also says that those powers not specifically enumerated belong to the individual States. The various States have their own ways of regulating what gets built, where it gets built and how it gets built. In the jurisdiction where I worked had a Planing and Zoning Department which regulated where and what. The jurisdiction also had a Building Department. The Building Department was/is responsible to regulate the how of building. Does a specific building element comply with the Indiana Building Codes? In the case of Colin's bunker/bomb shelter. Both Planning & Zoning and Building would want to determine if it's a habitable space. As mentioned, stairs would be required in a habitable space. Two means of egress (exiting) would also be required. In the case of the tunnels, those are not likely to be habitable spaces and not require means of egress. It's very likely Planning & Zoning approval and a Building Permit would be required. The penalities do allow for a demolition to be ordered. However, there would be other ways to achieve compliance such as a letter and as built plans from a licensed structural engineer.
Thank you for your detailed description of procedure from Indiana. It seems things operate in a broadly similar fashion there as they do here. I am always interested to learn how design and construction operates in other countries.
@@RealLifeArchitecture Much U.S. law is derived from English Common Law, that by itself doesn't completely explain the parallels in practice. As you will recall, the Thirteen Colonies were founded on grants from the English Crown and had judicial systems and laws based on those in use in England.
You enjoy living in nazi Germany?
I did not watch this to take a class on UK construction law. I watched it to see how his bunker and tunnel worked out from an architects point of view.
In the UK the two are inseparable. It’s the world we live in.
@@RealLifeArchitecture perhaps you can do one on how well he did do based off some collaboration?
You make some valid points because as an engineer I had the same questions.
I do believe you should have made this film.
People unlike us will not understand because they are too sensitive and not attuned to consequences of one's actions.
Just because you can do it, doesn't mean you should.
Good luck with him trying to sell that house or pass it on as inheritance.
Is he committing insurance fraud with his housing insurance? Only if he tries to claim.
These aren't residental rooms so building control and planning approval is not an issue most of the time. Outbuildings and non habitual rooms have less legal paperwork. But you're right, this impacts the foundations of the house, so it will need some engineering sign off.
While i get what you’re saying on this, the trouble with building a tunnel is it isn’t something that everbody does to their house. Extensions, loft conversions, garages etc, are all pretty similar and are easy enough to plan and show what materials you intend to use and how you intend to build it. With a tunnel and bunker in your garden, it’s not an easy thing to plan and show what’s used to build it without actually building it. So while building the tunnel without permission may be frowned upon, surely getting approval on something that already exists and can be shown to be safe and of sound construction is a lot easier than trying to explain what you’re intending to build and leaving it to the planning officer and building control guys imaginations!
An observation about building control - BC is intended to make sure all residential and habitable buildings meet minimum standards and as such covers things like natural lighting, egress/access and ventilation along with insulation and structural strength. - AFAIK there are no building control 'pro-forna' to cover protective bunkers which, by their obvious nature, cannot have 'natural' ventilation or lighting (windows) and would be built to withstand significant structural 'attack'. (or maybe there are BCs for bunkers - but joe publisic is not allowed to access them?)
Colin's bunker and access tunnel would seem, from the construction videos published, to address the needs of a bunker - i.e. NO natural lighting NO natural (i.e. opening window) ventilation, NO direct access and significant strength. It is probably that the BCs have not caught up with the 'bunker' concept BUT given there are plenty of government bunkers around, which have legitimacy, maybe BC need to construct 'regulations', different to conventional building controls, to address the specific needs of bunkers and access tunnels.
There will be thousands of homes in the UK with converted lofts and cellars where owners have not bothered with planning or building control so, unless Local Authorities are going to embark on a draconian enforcement regime I would think their best approach, in Colin's case, is to make an appropriate exemption from BC where there is no part of BC to cover the development.
The only area where BC should probably seek a formal structural assessment would be where the tunnel engages with the house foundations. I'm sure that, given the construction videos, and no doubt other unpublished video, Colin would be able to get a structural signoffs for that element.
You have a point but I don’t agree on your last observation. There is a lot of footage for an engineer to review but if the materials and methods used by Colin are not sufficient, the engineers won’t ‘sign off’ on what has been built.
Just a question, when you say it will need insulation, why? Is it because of temp regulation? I thought as its underground the temperature is fairly well regulated. Or have I missed something?
If the space was to become legally habitable it would need to demonstrate the rate of heat loss from the interior. We now insulate solid floors as standard in the UK, because the ground under a building will be cooler than the building interior. Heat flows from hot to cold, unless insulation prevents it. It’s just physics. The bunker and tunnel are surrounded by ground and while the temperature will be constant, it will be lower than a desirable internal temperatures
@@RealLifeArchitecturedesirable by the government. It's okay buddy. We know you're a fed. Try hide it next time. Care to explain why tf would government dictate what temp YOU should be comfortable with in YOUR house? 😂😂😂
I did worry about retro spective permission
He didn't get permission first because it was a secret project at first.
Yeah, he’s a grown man though. Having ‘secret projects’ isn’t going to hold up in court.
@@AaronAbernethyyou can tell all those defending him are American.
Lots of people hating on this video, but it’s actually quite informative
Thank you! I knew when I made it that the Furze fan-boys wouldn’t like it but this is my area of professional expertise and I stand by what I said.
All i hate about this video is the camera quality xD
@@RealLifeArchitecture You should. But he overbuilt it, not bashing you or anything, but it sounds like you’re just trying to get hits from his name.
What’s the point of this? He’s got 12 million people watching im sure the government is keeping a good eye on him or he would be shut down. Everyone knows there are permits and approval be we don’t care we just want to see his build
Also, re: Insulation. If you think METERS of dirt isn't enough, I don't know what to tell you. Also, Stairs? Natural Light? In a tunnel...
As a builder, it's nice to see the face of what we refer to as a walking clipboard...
It's people like you who take the scenario of 1 historically failed project and demand every project be over engineered after that.
It's just an assumption game with you lot.
Making life harder for the rest to justify your job...
Just like HSE demand a hard hat on an open field with no plant equipment because the land is allocated for construction, bureaucratic unwarranted bs.
The fact you've tried to out Furze for clicks proves my point.
"Colin Rolled a dice here..." No I think there was probably a big brown envelope exchanged at some point (loading the dice).
My issue was always about the cost of these tunnelling projects. Also water loves a lower level void.
There is a wonderful world that is only comprehensible and enjoyable beyond giving too much respect to the vast majorty of bureaucracy in the world today. I know you know it too.
I'm a Scottish guy living in York and the planners here would have a field day with this. Let alone building control
As long as its safe structurally. What others dont know wont hurt them.
This guy must be fun at parties jeez
Elon Musk stated that regarding his Boring company that he didn't need legal approval for a tunnel, but you need approval for where you go down/up with the opening. He said something about you dont own the ground under your land. He also said you can go deeper in many levels if you want more room for many tunnels/roads. I don't know how it works by law, but I figure if someone should make a tunnel under the city and your house some meters below you don't need approval for all landowners/houses above.
Hmm, I get what you are trying to show and technically, you are correct. But the tone and insinuation suggest that you don't actually approve of, or like what @colinfurze has done. His channel is superb and I am sure he is doing these things in full knowledge of any complications down the line. Take his channel for what it is, entertainment.
Here is a question I have always wondered when building an underground bunker / shelter what ever you want to call it. You build them for a reason to survive any "end of world" scenario. The UK government has a nac for putting barriers in place of everything. I heard the councils will submit any plans to neighbours to confirm they have no issues with the builds going ahead. This makes sense in light of a new 2 story extension going up for blocking light etc.
However if the build is not going near your neighbours does the council / authority body still submit these plans to your neighbours? This kind of negates the "secret bunker" part and should anything happen you would have half the street knocking at your door and your safety plan for your family becomes pointless.
Do these kind of builds / plans get submitted to neighbours to raise any issues?
Very informative does make you sigh though at how many hoops have to be jumped through. Thanks
There are a lot of hoops, no doubt.
The planning system doesn’t do “secret” for regular properties. There is a separate system for buildings concerned with national security.
Yes. UK is an authoritarian dictatorship. You are and will never be allowed to ensure your and your family survival in case of apocalypse. Monarchy and elites don't want to share nuclear wasteland with peasants. Hell, they don't want you to be able to survive and thrive RIGHT NOW, what makes you think they would want that at the end of the world?
Similar to the four year rule, if you actually look into it, its encouraged.
Sounds like a set of good reasons not to live in town so you can use your own land the way you want.
The planning system and building regulations apply regardless of where the property is located.
@@RealLifeArchitecturedamn, do you at least get rec time in the clink?
1 bit of information that is overlooked. If your building a secret tunnel or bunker. (And it was a secret, his neighbour didn't have a clue the tunnel was getting built) the only issue is if you go to sell your house but what if like many of us, you don't plan to sell your house. You want to live in it till you die. Then it isn't an issue.
It becomes an issue for whoever inherits the house. I’ve seen this numerous times over the years, where someone tries to sell a property they inherit but can’t because their parents carries out unauthorised alterations.
The building regulations in the UK place the legal responsibility for compliance on the owner, even if the previous owner carried out the work. The moment someone new inherits a property it becomes their problem.
@@RealLifeArchitecturewell ungrateful shitstain of offspring should suffer if they want to get rid of their family legacy
I'm pretty sure he was told that it's no longer a house, but a bunker with a house (not a house with a bunker) and as far as the tunnel goes he would like to get verified as 'access to the bunker' not a living space or storage
It’s classification is only part of the issue. Structural considerations will also be required.
I'm confused. How is this really any different than a basement?
@@ThatCoolKidYouKnow I'm not sure but I believe it's because the bunker's intended use is primarily as a shelter against 'war efforts' (in lack of a better term) specially fortified and separate from the house itself
@@ThatCoolKidYouKnowA basement would be classed as an extension of the living space and therefore has to follow certain regs.
The classification is crucial to making the project possible, without it the regs are extremely tight and probably impossible if it was classed as a living space.
A bunker is a temporary living space for fallout and I would assume has very loose regs deliberately in order to make cheap shelters accessible if necessary in the event of war.
I’m thinking that he had a big enough following and his revenue would cover any future costs. Even if he is required to undue the work, he’s probably going to get very rich, which is not the same outcome for others not following the building codes.
Does not having build control signoff effect his house mortgage and building insurance? Does colin need to inform his insurance and mortgage provider of the alterations he has made?
If colin came to sell his property would his alterations make it difficult for a mortgage lender to provide a product to a prospective buyer?
Would there need to be imdeminity insurance taken out?
I mentioned possible implications for mortgages in the video but it’s speculation. I am trying to set up a video with a mortgage specialist to discuss this.
I very much doubt he has a mortgage given the amount of money he makes from UA-cam.
Pretty sure he stated in one video that the house belongs to him and doesn’t ever plan on leaving/selling.
Lmao Iv been in the building industry for 30 years and I would trust his underground tunnels more then a consultant
Why your butt is hurt for him not getting permits?
Interesting.... thanks
No problem
Good video!! Thanks for the facts!!
Thank you!
Im a big fan of colin, then starts snitching on him and telling everyone they can find his address by looking up his building plans.
First off, I don’t share his address or how I found it. Looking up building plans isn’t as simple as you think. Give it a go, see how far you get. You need to know where someone lives before you start looking for plans. That said, I was amazed Colin hadn’t taken steps to conceal his address. It’s took me less than 60 seconds to work it out. I’ve been contacted by several people asking me to share it, which is very scary. Of course I don’t want anyone finding Colin’s address but he put it on numerous databases, in the public domain and made it very easy, if you know where to look. I wasn’t trying to be gratuitous, the issues I raised have a genuine public interest. As mentioned in the video, I have dealt with people who did things the same way Colin did and fell foul of the system. He got lucky.
@@RealLifeArchitecture you are trying to get views of his name.. AND you have pretty much snitched on him.. It is not that hard to find him and it only takes one person to do it and spread the word...
Exactly, this video didn’t need to focus so heavily on Colin, the video could have been made without Colin entirely, but that wouldn’t click bait away his fans now would it.
Colin lives in Stamford
In the states you need 3 building permits for a dock in some places. If you have two and build it, the city will make you tear it down and charge you by the day till it's removed.
Collin does some cool projects, and working in solid limestone, I don't think he's doing much risk to anyone. The tunnel is built very strong as well.
Building approval or not Collin is probably a bad ass to have as a neighbor. In the event of a tornado you know he will probably let his neighbors huddle in there.
It would be sad if some prick caused his dreams and everyone's entertainment to be cut short.
You went kinda far looking up plans and single him out. Which isn't really cool in my opinion. Yea you have a point but you could have been more general with it. And maybe gave examples of what could happen. But pulling on coat tails of someone who put a lot of blood and sweat into its construction.
If you had a real concern with the safety or structure he was building maybe this would be called for.
Not sure who will hire a architect that checks if the dishwasher had a permit
Thanks for the video 📹 it really explains why doing something without permission is not the best route to take and the explanation of why the permissions given is always the best way to go. I rent a property in a HMO but I am still making sure before I actually place a shed for storage but I'm making sure of the location so that I am not blocking any safety access in case of any emergency so thank you for the help 👍 🍻
Thanks for your comment, a lot of people on here can’t see past me pointing out Colin didn’t do things by the book.
@@RealLifeArchitecture Colin was upfront in a very recent video of his about Planning Approval. You come across as though you are targeting him & trying to increase your views.
@@ZIMsar10 I made this video in direct response to Colin’s video about retrospective planning approval. This is a risky and unnecessary way to organise any project. Colin also didn’t address building regulations approval, and that is of equal legal status to planning.
There's no reason why you must ask your government overlord permission to build on your land. We abolished serfdom for a reason. Your horsefaced nation wants to bring it back and force the rest of the world to submit to it
as long as he doesn't want to sell his house no issue
Lemme just ask my local nanny-state for technical approval of a thing that doesn't exist or have any comparisons before that we necessarily have to adjust as we find things, on my own property. Never mind that each 'adjustment' will have to go through the whole process again for every single change. That'll speed the process right up.
This is why the UK isn't a serious country. I can build whatever I want, wherever I want on my property.
'It's easier to ask for forgiveness than it is permission'
Until it isn’t…
When it is. It is most of the time
He doesn't live in that house anymore. Its a show home for his channel. He lives somewhere else.
Irrelevant
I am sure he has it sorted out and I'm sure he has it sorted. I'm sure people won't build with out a permit
The funny thing is the shirts who sit behind a desk who make the rules of what you can and cannot do at the same time pay someone to put an ikea shelf up with instructions because they’ve never had dirty hands and search on line for a left handed screwdriver……. As a builder of 20+ years I wouldn’t house a dog in a new build following this days ‘rules’
Is it even classed as a dwelling anymore? It's a production studio, nobody has lived there for yonks. You never see the immediate neighbours either. So I suspect he/his production company own those as well.
Its better to ask forgiveness then permission. 99% of the time you wong get permission. Honestly it's your property, your house...do what you want!!!
In America, it is easier to seek forgiveness, than it is to seek permission.
Maybe, but Colin isn’t in America
@@RealLifeArchitecture Oh I know! Thank God I am in America, I really feel bad for anyone that isn’t American
Atlas bunkers will sign off on it as bunker experts
I had to look them up. Good grief, how paranoid does someone need to be to invest in something like that?
Good points you raised but I'm not sure why you need insulation when the air temperature under ground is so much more stable. He's unlikely to need heating and better thermal performance than the house. As for structural strength, concrete with the steel liner will be much stronger than the brick it is supporting and given it's all sat on lime stone, it ain't going anywhere.
Not in the UK but I’m quite Sure that the same BS goes on in in the US. It is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.
Colin invited his neighbour to the tunnel. Smart
You make it sound sinister 🤣
Yes the bureaucracy is horrible. But the devil has to get his due so educating people on it is fine. You just sound patronizing when doing so.
Fair enough
@@RealLifeArchitecture Np. Thank You for not taking it the wrong way.
This is why you never buy land inside city limits.. It's literally just an open prison.
Informative and insightful, but you’re basically trying to get views off the back of another UA-camr’s work 🤔
Would it be any different if I commented on a famous persons home or used a well known building as an example. I really don't see the issue here.
Thats probably why he hasn't made a new tunnel vedio in the last 2 weeks his probably appled for approval and is wanting for it to come through.
In my experience, it can take months.
It mite be a while then but he'll probably work on other projects for the time being.
Not sure if you’re accent is from Cork or Callander?!
Does it matter?
I wouldn't be surprised if he owns the houses next to him already. The local farmers don't mind him doing whatever he wants. But don't dig under foundations without consent.
That's why you have to build your flamethrowers first.
Out of 12 million people a fair few of them must be architects and planning permission givers
Possibly but the number of architects in the UK is small, relative to the population.
@@RealLifeArchitecture must be a lot more than 1 in 12 million. I mean if there’s 60 in the whole of the U.K. that’s 1 in a million, and there’s must be at least 10 000 surely?
@@StoutProper true! 42,500 architects out of 67.8 million people. So one architect for every 1595 people.
@@RealLifeArchitecture Ok so there’s likely to be 7 and a half thousand architects watching his videos, all things being equal
@@StoutProper your figures assume Colin’s videos are watched exclusively by UK residents. I’ve had comments from various countries on this one, including from people in the US who work in the building codes / approvals sector. That said, my channel gets regular comments from UK architects.
So in other words move out of the UK asap because you don’t have rights or freedoms to do stuff with your own property, even if it literally doesn’t effect anyone else
So, outta the goodness of his heart, he snoops around looking for building permits !
This is why you can't own anything, because the government has placed laws that represent Big Gov.
As for me I don't care what my neighbors do. As far as the resale value, there are people out there including me that would love to have a underground bunker just like Colins.
Not to mention he managed to pull Colin's address. If anything he's a stalker at least and a snitch at most. He's so jealous he's probably doxxed Colin already
An architect woooooooo
Stupid concern troll video. And you seem to ignore that Colin makes video content for profit and that affects the approach massively. This is not the same thing as building something to actually use privately.
I don't understand why you're bothered?
I'd love to hear from colin himself , what he thinks of your video 🤔
This video... This is exactly what is wrong with the 1st world.
Really? we cant learn from other people anymore.
@@RealLifeArchitecture .... what I mean is that the first word is so regulated that there is no wiggle room for movement. Technocrats and regulators stifle everything to death in the name of the greater good...
How to manipulate the algorithm so that I never see your face or hear your voice again... Hmmm .. 🤔
And making smart ass comments like this almost guarantees the algorithm will suggest even more of my videos in your feed. Well done.
@@RealLifeArchitecture said the know-it-all smart ass...
@@mmp8833 I may be a know it all and a smart ass but I also have two university degrees, a professional qualification and 13 years experience running my own business.
You are welcome to disagree with what I said in the video but unless you bring something more than snarky comments you are wasting everyone’s time.
He probably doesn’t care , the number of subscribers he has means he will be earning millions ,far in excess of what his house is worth and so we’ll worth the risk
I think at the end of the day Colin probably doesn't even care if he can't sell that house at market value, he's living pretty humbly given the size of his channel. I just look up where he lives and it's the same town I live in 😂, I had no clue 😂😂.
Just a further warning after 1st October 2023, the time limit for English Building Regulations enforcement has been changed to ten tears, so be so warned!! Building Safety Act 2022 has made several fundamental changes to the original Building Act of 1984.
Yes, the building control laws are different in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland and , of course , the Republic of Ireland.
#registered building inspector
#old_building_regulations_surveyor
Yes, underground buildings are still subject to the English Building Regulations. The bomb shelter exemption is very hard to satisfy if any other use is mode of the space.