Steve Firth wrote:
Zoinks wrote:
[snip]

I find it irritating that Kev. constantly uses the programme as a
soapbox to rant about the planning regulations (something that he says
should be abolished).

"Greenbelt ? Nah, f*ck it, put a house up anyway."

The house built in the lake the other week was a perfect example. When
they'd finished the only place left in that area with a view of
unsploit countryside was the house they'd thrown up. How it got
planning permission is a complete mystery.


He has a valid point. The planning process made damn sure that the house
would look like a pile of crap, and it did. I've been through the same
with my own home and have just about given up. If I want to rip the guts
out of the house and build everything to current building regs I will
get permission. The end result will be a hideous series of boxes and a
construction unsympathetic to the architecture of the village and this
house in particular.


Zoinks is on about the house in the lake here, what are you on about ?
It was a right old mess, really ugly.

It's true that he shouldn't soapbox his own views on TV though. If he
was ranting about liberalizing some other aspect of the law (drugs,
incest) every week you'd sure complain - well maybe not, I don't know.


The village was built entirely without planning restrictions and as a
consequence it is human scaled, very attractive and brings in people
from miles around just to ogle at the massed prettiness.


Then how would you feel if someone pulled down half of it and stuck up a
WalMart. Get rid of planning and that's *exactly* what will happen.
Most of the posts wrt bad neighbours on this NG would be much worse if
they could just do whatever the hell they wanted.

Why shouldn't current development follow suit?

Because you'd have millions of idiots building fortresses all over the
place and enclosing as much possible volume at the lowest possible cost,
eating up every square inch of landmass. The lowest common denominator
would make your life hell. Imagine for one second that your moron
next-door neightbour wanted to build an extension that had a window
looking right into your bedroom, and on and on and on it goes...


Why are we forced (for
example) to fit doorways that are different in proportion to the
original for any new build. Why are we forbidden to develop the building
using the same techniques and materials used to build it originally?

The problem with the image of planning is that only people who mess up
on their applications (for whatever reason) rant on and on about it. The
law is not set out by the planners, it's set by the Government. The
decisions are not made by the planners, they're made by the Councillors
at the planning committee.
Planners are generally trying to help you get the application through -
the only power they have is to advise.

And
why do politicians, most of whom have council-house tastes, get to
dictate to others how they can live the minute detail of their lives?


Council house tastes ! What does that mean ! Sorry, can't hear you
through the window of your 4x4 (c:

IMO "planning" results in more eyesores than the development that was
occuring before "planning" was thought of.


Really ? Planning started just after the Second World War to help deal
with the development chaos that ensued. Without it you'd sure be a lot
worse off, under the control of every insane developer with an eye for a
profit (and that's all of them).

Look at Prescott's attempts to lay waste to communities in order to
build cheap "system" houses.

And look at Tesco and ADSA's wish to build cheap "system" supermarkets.
Which would you prefer on your doorstep ?

All that said, there's just too many of us, that's the real problem. And
as the density increases we all just hope that no major sh*te gets built
next-door.

Chips.

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Chips'll make it better.
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