Did anyone see Restoration Man on TV last night? I thought that the planners were being a little harsh on the guy in not letting him build an extension. He had taken a knackered old building that nobody cared about and turned it into something special. I should imaging that anybody who could see it from their property would be delighted in the transformation.
It got me thinking… Who sits on these planning committees? Councillors, planners, NIMBYs, self appointed pillars of the community, environmentalists or is it a mixture?
Are they elected, volunteers or appointed?
I’m curious because as a long term project I’m thinking of putting a small extension on my 200 year old house and I know that recent planning applications in the area have failed.
Saw that. How he didn't punch that planner in the face I don't know. The one that suggested an extension in keeping with the old building would not be accepted? if it was modern it needed to look modern. Then the commitee rejected it because it was modern and not in keeping with the old building 👿
For centuries buildings were updated even our most historic ones. I find it frustrating that 'someone' decides that it must all be kept in a certain period style, not neccesarily how it was first built either.
And do they let buildings crumble into the ground rather than see a sympathetic restoration carried out?
Elected councillors sit on planning committees and make the final decision (it's slightly different within a national park). Planning officer makes a recommendation based on policy, any interested party can address the committee but final decision is with the elected members (who have only basic planning knowledge). Their decision can be overturned on appeal
There's an old house by us that has had extensions and alterations done to it in each of the last 8 centuries - all in the style of the day. The owner had an application for some new work rejected recently because it would be "out of character".
It's not necessarily what you do but how you go about it and demonstrating quite why you've come to that point.
Self important little cocks in my experience. Some jumped up council worker who holds massive power over people who just want to build a small conservatory or extension and they totally and utterly revel in it. I can understand it when someone wants to build a meat processing plant on their land but when you start arguing about a foot here or there on a room made mostly out of glass which means absolutely cock all to anyone else but it's really important to the people who want it, then you realise what nasty little shits they are.
In theory that cruck building should be restored with straw walls, but a more 'chocolate box' looking period in that buildings life is preffered.
And doubly frustrating in that case was that it's importance had been missed and could have been knocked down or 'renovated' with a blue PVC sheet.
Edit; It wasn't listed was it? am I right in thinking that the powers that be thought it too much of a **** hole to even consider.
Samuri - I think you'll find that they're your elected representatives, so in escense you voted to put them there.
Nah, the council members are elected, the workers who actually make the on the ground decisions are lifers. It doesn't even see a planning committee until you've satisfied the hump backed nazi who does the footwork and as far as I can tell, he doesn't have to answer to anyone for submissions he turns down.
edit: Although obviously you can appeal but then they'll just toe the government *guideline*, not law, guideline and knock you back for daring to question them.
I couldn't quite understand why the extension had to have bleedin glass walkway again, and be cocked out at an angle!!
But otherwise I'm sympathetic.
Anyone can request a decision is taken to committee rather than dealt with under delegated powers and then it's the elected members who have the final say
Why can't it be done the other way round i.e you are told/shown/advised about what you can do.
Cost and lack of resources.
+1
[i]For centuries buildings were updated even our most historic ones. I find it frustrating that 'someone' decides that it must all be kept in a certain period style, not neccesarily how it was first built either.
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Never understood it neither, who picks the 'period'.
You can look the stuff up yourself, it's all public domain and if you hire an architect, they'll know all the rules and if there's a way round them.
Here's a good and ridiculous example. Our conservatory is 4m by 4m, which causes problems for the little ****er who turns up with his tape because the side next to the dividing wall, intersects the dividing wall more than 3m from the property. He just says no, mentions casually that we don't really need a conseravtory anyway because he doesn't have one, he does just fine in a two bedroomed terrace and then goose steps off to kill some babies or something.
He must have known right there and then exactly how he could have resolved the matter but why should he tell us?
The architect knew what to do though.
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See the top right corner, just cut it off a a 45 degree angle, we lose half a metre squared but ho hum. Goering comes back and ticks his little box. And this took 2 months from him/committee seeing it to accepting the final plan.
[i]Why can't it be done the other way round i.e you are told/shown/advised about what you can do.
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Makes **** all difference - we went down that route with them and they still turned us down!!!
Samuri, we had a similar issue with our extension at a previous house. We ended up with a 300mm x 300mm dog leg in one corner to get round the 3000mm sight line rule. All this despite us pulling down a much larger brick built coal store to build the extension in the first place.
Our architect wasn't so on the ball, so the redesign happened on the day that our planning application was due to expire. If I had any hair it would have turned grey.
I once went out with a planning chick - her boss was a complete alcoholic so she was basically in charge.
I asked her a few time what made her turn people down. She said usual depends on her mood that day.
Please see Nelson, Lancashire for reasons why its unwise to have a female 25 year old with no building knowledge in charge of planning
regards
Plum