I’ve had more problems with Client’s requirement then Planning.

A lot of people in the industry don’t know about the GDO!

Down with planning. I think we should look towards Ireland and Italy for planning and building regs. not.

Just a thought, but will people like Tesco who aren’t exactly the greatest respecters of the planning process, now see this as a green light to go mental on store expansions?

Horrible little people in planning departments.

In my experience of trying to get to the bottom of numerous planning disputes, council planning officers are generally sensible, level-headed and practical.

It’s the councillors on the planning committees and the general public who cause all the problems.

Just a thought, but will people like Tesco who aren’t exactly the greatest respecters of the planning process, now see this as a green light to go mental on store expansions?

Unlilely, was doing some research recently for a feature and it seems most of the major supermarkets have moved beyond the aggressive expansion phase.

Think Tesco had a profit warning about it, for example.

Good planning I surely one thing we do need in our crowded and over populated country. You need it so the right services can be built, schools, etc. and so houses and stuff don’t end up being built in totally stupid places. Like they were in Ireland and now nobody wants to live there or everybody has to drive as they live in the bog.

The only reason they want it is that it is a quick fix to start the economy moving. Not sustainable or good for the long term though.

Unlilely, was doing some research recently for a feature and it seems most of the major supermarkets have moved beyond the aggressive expansion phase.

Tesco just won an appeal for their 16th store in Reading (on their usual planning technicalities. They can spend a lot of money on lawyers)

If planning permission is refused there is the right of appeal. If decisions are really ‘petty’ you can also be awarded costs against the local authority. Do people really think that planning officers refuse things on a whim? Planning officers are generally working to rules set by others. Councillors on the other hand…

This is quite true.

With regards tescos, there are far too many of them, and I live what is called in the press ‘tesco town’ sometimes.

The reason so many tescos get approval is down to councillors who are weak, massive section 106 payment and the fact that tesco often foot the bill for large infrastructure developments that councils can’t afford. Plus if you have an area or street which has run down, tesco can often spark a level of retail regeneration. Which some would argue us better than boarded up shops, which is ironically what tje likes of tesco caused in the first place….

Thankfully, the new build generation won’t have to share their estates with chavvy neighbours in the social housing the developer was forced to build by the nasty nanny state.

My nicest neighbours are your “chavs” in social housing.

Edit: Tesco built an Express store near my old house while the planning process was going through – obviously knowing someone on the inside and suitable bribes helps.

CaptJon – Member

Do people have the money to build extensions?

I expect they will all remortgage and max themselves out on barely-affordable repayments with overly-keen lenders. That helped last time didn’t it? 😀

sas – Member

Does anyone live next to a Tory MP?

My Tory MP lives ‘next to’ no houses at all, in what would be a 900k house if it was just in a garden, lord knows what it is worth set in it’s couple of acres of grounds. That is not a joke at all btw. But he doesn’t have a moat and the duck house was funded from his own pocket.

Bikebouy…. First hand experiance here from both sides of the fence.

Shame on you, leave the old lady in peace 😉

Hahaha, no seriously not all Planners are the same*

Just in my experience gained fron G2 listed renovation and an ex’s father being on the planning committee in the Peaks..

*this may not be true, other opinions should be sought.

Like they were in Ireland and now nobody wants to live there or everybody has to drive as they live in the bog.

As an englishman living in the “bog” the lack of planning appears to have worked well in my estate (with it’s 10% social housing) – 197 houses in the estate.

We can have up to 40 square meters built on the back with no planning. I’d say one person has built to the max, and their garden has loads of hedge around it.

At it’s worst the back gardens at one point looks like back to back yards of terraced houses except with nice yards.

It’s fine, the only scary bit is getting everything built to the regulations – it can take a while to find a quality builder.

loddrik – Cambridge or Inverness? I think they were the two most Tesco’d towns in the UK…

As for my recent application, the council has cut the number of planners to save money, so you only get processed if you phone them every day and pester them for weeks on end. I only started doing thing after 12 months wait. Other than that, it was straight forward and so cheap they can’t make any money from it, £70 or something like that.

Liverpool, there are so many of them, of the express kind, tbf its probably only the local press who call Liverpool tesco town.

Sometimes they are a necessary evil but many areas are absolutely saturated now.

Billiard Room 🙂 Cant wait.

A nice championship sized pool table 🙂

Footflaps,think you’ll find it’s £150 for domestic application,still doesn’t go very far …………

@ Flaperon

My nicest neighbours are your “chavs” in social housing.

Lack of smileys in my post may have implied I was being serious. I was being sarcastic and apologies if that didn’t come across. I need to realise sometimes my liberal wetness does not precede me.

Loddrick: (or anyone else) does anyone know if there’s an official guide to the new 1st Oct planning laws online? They are coming into effect next Monday and the only “semi-official” info I have found so far is from newspaper articles.?!? The planning portal doesn’t mention the new laws at all.

Also do the laws apply for extensions already under construction? ie: say I already have a 2m extension under way with permission, can I now take it out further to 3m or is it only for work started after 1st Oct?

Thanks very much for any info anyone can give.

Well, if asking questions here. How about this.

New build and the builder has built the garage so small you can’t park a car in it. Can-O-worms or easy to sort ?.