On Tue, 9 Sep 2003 11:45:58 +0100, "IMM" wrote:

"Cynic" wrote in message
ws.com...
On Mon, 08 Sep 2003 22:11:24 +0100, Sandy Morton
wrote:

In article , IMM
wrote:
???? 50% Do you mean the UK? The UK is a very flat. Have you ever
driven around it or flown over it?

I think that you are looking at a different country from my UK!

No. Having flown over much of the UK, I can confirm that the majority
is pretty flat, with some exceptional areas in parts of Wales and
Scotland. I can also confirm that the vast majority is open fields
and woodland.

I would be extemely surprised if as much as 10% was impossible to
build on due to topography.

Obviously the major road systems run between villages, towns and
cities, which gives the car driver an incorrect perception of the
ratio between open space and built-up areas.

Very astute observation and very correct. Get off the A roads and onto the
back B roads and tracks and only the odd falling down barn you see. Get out
and walk and sometimes you are lucky to see the odd building. The UK is
very open and unbuilt upon country.

True (and some of us like living in the more "open and unbuilt upon"
parts).

I would be extremely surprised if 3-4% was impossible to build on due to
topography. After all the highest mountain in Wales has a railway running
up to the top.

How many people, though, would want to live at the top of the highest
mountain in Wales?

Even if the UK's planning laws were revolutionized, I imagine that the
results would be even greater concentrations of population - for
example, every piece of open land within easy commuting distance of
London (and Manchester, and B'ham, and ...) would be built on.

Julian


--
Julian Fowler
julian (at) bellevue-barn (dot) org (dot) uk