planning permission

A phone call on Friday from the Borough Council Planning Department - and yes, we have planning permission!!

For those not familiar with the arcane world of English law, buildings cannot be erected without the permission of the local council. We bought the Cordwood site (in late October last year) with 'outline' planning permission for the construction of two bungalows. What we then had to do was submit a raft of documentation including detailed building and site plans, ecological assessment, tree survey, Landscape Management Plan and xxx. The local planners then had to scrutinise these plans, consult with the local community and then discuss the scheme with elected councillors.
Although the land was a 'Brownfield' site (formerly a mushroom farm), it was within the 'Greenbelt', which meant that the highest standards of protection and planning rules were applied to it.
The process was unnecessarily protracted but on Friday the call came through. No strings attached - we can go ahead with the full scheme as proposed!

So, what better to do than thank those of our many friends and family who have helped us and who could make it at short notice and in rain to join us in a raising a glass of bubbly or bucks fizz.

Hurrah!!! Now the fun really begins.