BUILDING A HUT?
Before you start: In order to get a clear picture in your mind, before you start, here's a few basic points to consider. Remember, the more thought invested before you start building, the more successful your experience will be.
* Determine what size hut you require: Sounds simple, but you should ask yourself realistic questions like, How many people will regularly use the hut? Remember: the larger the hut, the more heating it will require.
* Visit other huts, check their size and construction. Look for a good example that would suit your needs - preferably a Basic, Solid, Warm and Easy to construct hut.
* Estimate the cost of materials. Re-cycled timber, doors and windows are preferred by the Council.
* Important: Speak to the CHCC Directors - all of them are happy to help and advise.
STIRLING COUNCIL'S HUT DESIGN GUIDELINES
The information duplicated below, comes from the official guidance notes issued by Stirling Council on Hut Design. Please read through it and make sure you understand it. If you require any further guidance or assistance, please don't hesitate to get in touch with the Hutter's Company...
General Design of New or Replacement Huts
It is essential that huts do not over dominate a site or break from the traditional rhythm of old-style, World War II type huts. Buildings should be of a scale and character that is in keeping with traditional hut proportions and the historic "garden city" landscape character. A reasonable distance to boundaries of at least two metres should be maintained.
The external design should reflect the function of the building as a holiday hut, and not display the normal characteristics of a bungalow, house or chalet.
Designs should show individuality and diversity of appearance, using a mixture of dimensions and volumes, with the use of purpose-made components.
Large monolithic structures will be discouraged. The ground plan may be based on a typical historic Carbeth hut - oblong (maximum floor area of 23 sq m (250 sq feet)), and into smaller extensions which are in keeping in scale and character, but which do not dominate the main structure (Figs 3 and 4).
Recycled and environmentally friendly materials and those from sustainable sources should be used.
Extensions
No extensions to the front of a hut will be permitted, other than a traditional porch, a narrow area of timber decking, a balcony or verandah projection. Steps should be of timber, with a timber handrail if over three steps in number (for safety reasons).
Extensions to existing buildings should be of a scale and character which reflect the hut proportions and should not dominate the original structure.
Extensions should be no more that 50% of the original floor area - it is preferable to have several small extensions rather than one large one.
It is characteristic of Carbeth for extensions to be of lean-to or pent roof design and this tradition should be maintained (Figs 3 and 4).
There should be continuity of materials to match the main hut.
Vacant Plots
Vacant or abandoned plots should be developed as soon as possible. Such plots should be cleared of rubbish or hut debris by the plot tennant under the terms of their lease or as part of regular site clean ups. Abandoned waste has a detrimental visual effect on the area and can be a possible health hazard.
Foundations and Underbuilding
Concrete foundations, blockwork or brick piers, railway sleepers or timber post foundations should be sufficiently robust and level to meet the requirements of the job.
White or green lattice-work or spars to underbuilding (Figs 3 and 4) keep out vermin, hide material stored underneath a hut, and are a long-standing traditional detail which should be sustained.
A skirt of lattice-work may also be used to disguise modern concrete or other exposed foundations. Examples...
Figure 12 (below): Small matching pitched roof extension using a change in floor level to maintain the identity of the original hut unit.
Figure 13 (below): Simple extension with mono-pitch roof, providing an L-shape floor plan and allowing the form of the original hut to remain distinctive.
Figure 14 (below): Mono-pitched double extensions retaining a compact plan form and having a minimal effect on the form or the original unit.
Walls
New huts, or extensions to existing huts, should normally be finished in any, or a combination of, the following materials:
The preferred walling material is horizontal or vertical timber boarding or weather boarding, marine or exterior grade plywood, or "Sterling Board"; Corrugated Sheet Metal cladding may be acceptable in some cases, where replicating the form of timber boarding.
Walls should be predominantly green painted (BS 14C 39, 'mid-green', is recommended by the Estate). Dark brown wood stain or preservative is acceptable, but should be environmentally friendly.
Timber preservatives increase the durability of wood but preservative treated timber is now regarded as hazardous waste and should be disposed of accordingly.
Brick, stone or hung slate cladding is not acceptable.
Windows
New windows should be located close to the eaves and not exceed 50% of the wall height (Figs 15 - 23). Where additional daylight is required, horizontal strip windows are acceptable (Fig 22).
Timber is the preferred window material but metal or recycled plastic windows will also be acceptable.
White window frames are preferred Green painted, dark brown painted, or wood stain frames will also be acceptable.
Hardwood windows last longer than softwood, but should be from sustainable sources. New frames of double glazed windows should incorporate trickle vents for ventilation and to avoid condensation.
Bay windows are acceptable, although a less common feature in Carbeth.
French windows, vertical proportioned windows and roof lights, if absolutely essential, must be confined to concealed rear elevations.
Attic dormer windows are not recommended. They are uncharacteristic of the Carbeth hut style.
Doors
Solid Timber doors are preferred, either vertical boarded, simple flush timber, or traditional paneled. If front doors require part glazing for extra daylight, only the top half of the door may be glazed (Fig 24). Stable type, vertical-boarded doors may also be used.
Stained or coloured glass may be incorporated into glazed lights for decoration.
Paneled doors trying to imitate other historic periods (e.g. mock Georgian-style doors with arched fanlights) should be avoided.
Upvc doors are being increasingly used. Provided the door is not new, but recycled from another property, Upvc may be considered. Simple, white or brown Upvc doors without 'mock Georgian' fanlights are preferred.
Small, lean-to over-door canopies, which provide protection from rainwater, are acceptable. These should be light-weight in appearance and may be constructed in corrugated plastic, sheet metal or overlapping timber (Fig 25).
Double-leaf vertical-boarded outer storm doors to porches are acceptable.
Modern glazed patio-type doors, if absolutely essential, must be confined to enclosed rear elevations, and should not be readily visible from access roadways or public paths.
Porches, Balconies, Verandahs, Decking and Steps
Over-door canopies, timber porches, railed balconies, verandahs, decking and steps are acceptable and add modulation to hut elevations (Figs 25 - 33).
Roof Coverings, Rainwater Goods and Flues
Roofs should be covered in bituminous or mineral roofing felt. Alternative suitable roofing materials may be considered such as corrugated metal or polycarbonate sheeting.
Roof colour should be black, dark grey or dark green.
Designs should not exceed one story in height, with roof pitches between 15 - 35 degrees.
Overhangs (Fig 27), gutters and downpipes to pitched and flat roofs are recommended as they add protection to walls.
Rainwater gutters should be half-round dark grey or black in cast-iron, aluminium or plastic.
Downpipes should be dark grey or black in cast-iron, aluminium or plastic,
Metal flues exiting through the roof or taken up rear or side walls, or external brick wall stacks are recommended (Fig 34).
Conventional chimney stacks on roofs are not in keeping with the historic hut style.
External brick stacks should terminate in a clay pot, with or without a cowl or 'whirling granny'.
Garages, Outbuildings, Sheds and other Ancillary Structures
Garages or car ports are not characteristic of Carbeth and are not recommended; parking stances or hard-standings are preferred (see following section).
Outbuildings or sheds if detached from huts should be clad in materials to match the main building or similar. They should be sited to the rear of the plot or main building.
Sheds and stores should have pitched or monopitch roofs covered in bituminous felt, corrugated-iron or metal as appropriate. Such buildings should be small in scale and generally not exceed one tenth of the primary building floor area (Fig 35).
Where sheds and outhouses form an extension to a hut, they should be small scale (no more than one tenth floor area) with lean-to or pent roof in materials to match the main building.
Vehicular Access, Gates, On-plot Parking and Visitor Parking
The vehicle access point should be gated and to one side of a hut. Where the site is fenced, gates should match the fencing to give the appearance of a continuous boundary enclosure, although field-type gates are acceptable in a rural setting like Carbeth.
Large solid or continuously paved car parking surfaces are inappropriate. If the ground surface can take it, cars should be parked on the grass. A stance for a single car only is permitted.
Where on-plot ground conditions are soft or unsuitable, part grass with intervening grey or river washed gravel, or single slab paving with intervening grass, river washed gravel, sandstone or whin chippings is recommended. 'Grasscrete' blocks limited to one car length may also be allowed. The intention is to maintain as natural a ground surface as possible, appropriate to a rural, rather than an urban, setting.
Where the only option is off-plot parking, this should be on grass, but where ground conditions are unsuitable, a narrow parking bay (not exceeding one car length) may be formed. Larger parking bays are only acceptable when serving several plots and shall be limited to no more than 3 spaces, end on to the roadway. Where not grass, parking bays should match the road surface.
On-site camping is not permitted whether in tents, motorized caravanettes, or caravans.
Visitor parking must be confined to existing car parks and road lay-bys.
Fences, Dykes and Pedestrian Gates
Traditional Chestnut paling, Spirea hedging and Privet hedging have been the primary means of enclosure to individual plots from the beginning. Rhododendron, Holly and Beech hedges have been used to a much lesser degree. Often, the fencing is still found inside the hedging. These materials individually or in combination, should continue to be used for demarcating plot boundaries.
For fencing, Chestnut paling is recommended, but where this is too expensive, vertical timber spar fencing may be acceptable. This should be regularly spaced, well maintained and generally not exceed one metre in height. It may be erected in combination with the traditional hedging.
Paths
If possible, paths and access ways should be formed through the natural grass.
Where the ground conditions are soft, bark paths between logs or cinders may be used. Continuous concrete slab paving is not recommended, but slabs, if essential, should be inserted in stepping-stone fashion to maintain the rural character. Timber Duckboards are appropriate for paths crossing marshy ground.
Rights of Way and other countryside paths should be kept free of obstruction and properly maintained. Traditional timber or metal way-marking posts, in keeping with existing signage, is recommended.
Miscellaneous
The use of CCTV is acceptable provided equipment is neatly erected and discreet. Fixing equipment to nearby trees is encouraged where practical.
Battery powered TVs are often used. TV aerials should be neatly erected and placed at the rear of huts, if possible. Satellite dishes are unsightly and discouraged.
There is no on-site electricity. Alternative forms of lighting require careful consideration to avoid potential fire hazard. Candle power, paraffin and bottle-gas lights should be used sensibly. The former has been the cause of a number of fires and glass protectors are recommended. Rechargeable or battery powered lanterns are safest. Wind powered electricity generation is rare on site, but is a future energy source to be explored and developed.
Gas cylinders should be kept in a secure store on each plot and cylinders returned to the supplier when empty. They are best stored away from the hut.
Powered generators have been the cause of complaint because of noise. Some generators are quieter than others by virtue of their overall design, so it is worth exploring what is available on the market. It may be sensible to undertake a study of most efficient models for future guidance to hutters. It is possible to fit a silencer to dampen the noise.
Floodlighting is inappropriate because of light pollution. Solar powered lighting technology is improving and may provide a future energy source.
Water barrels and tanks on metal or timber trestles are a common feature allied to the huts, and should be placed against the rear or side walls of the hut. The tank and trestle should be painted or in a plastic colour to match the hut.
The original Stirling Council document
If you would like to read the original Stirling Council document, go............ here
DISCLAIMER: The information contained within this page is offered as a guide. It has been taken directly from a Stirling Council document, produced to assist hutters and to provide clarification with regard to what is and is not acceptable within the hutting area of the Carbeth Estate. If you have any questions or doubts, please speak to one of the directors BEFORE you start your planned work.
New hutters
If you're lucky enough to become a new prospective hutter - or even if you're looking forward to modernizing or entirely rebuilding your old hut, you'll need to know a few things. The Carbeth Hutting Area has been designated a Conservation Area, and with this in mind, it is essential to make sure that your plans do not contravene the guidelines issued by both the Carbeth Hutter's Community Company & Stirling Council.
TIP: Hut Sizes etc.
Stirling Council determine the size and shape of huts. Newly built huts have previously ordered to be demolished due to their size and shape. Planning Permission, from Stirling Council, is required before work can start on any new build, or for "any extensions or alterations" to existing huts.
The ground plan may be based on a typical historic Carbeth hut - oblong (maximum floor area of 23 sq m (250 sq feet)), and into smaller extensions which are in keeping in scale and character, but which do not dominate the main structure.
Adequate soakaways for sink waste water, must be constructed. Latrines shall consist of Chemical (Dry) toilets.
Note: In 1999, Stirling Council photographed and checked the dimensions of every single hut on the Estate at Carbeth.
TIP: Just got your hut or plot
So you've just been allocated a plot after waiting for a long time on the waiting list, and you want to get started, STOP. Make sure you speak with one of the company directors for advice. Any action you take now, without proper planning, could prove expensive and pointless as you may be required to remove any new hut or extension that contravenes the existing guidelines. A little time planning now, will ensure that all of your efforts are worth-while and compliant.
TIP: Hut Design Drawings
It is important that you produce, or have produced, a set of detailed, scaled drawings which clearly outline what you intend building or doing to an existing hut. These plans should then be submitted to both the Hutting Company & Stirling Council's Planning Department, to enable both to offer comments and advice if required. Don't worry, there are folks within the community & company, who will happily help you to produce your plans.
TIP: Getting it right
FROM STIRLING COUNCIL...
Please follow the link below for guidance on how to complete a formal planning application. It is preferable that drawings are completed by an architect who will also act on behalf of the applicant through the application process. This is beneficial for all parties as the architect will have the experience and knowledge in dealing with the planning process and with any issues that may arise as a result.
http://www.stirling.gov.uk/app_form_2008.pdf
In particular, please read pages 8-10.
TIP: Your tip here...