Planning
My next door neighbour live in an old mill house which they restored from near-dereliction. When they were getting the plans approved, the building control officer for the local council told them sternly that they must ensure that at least 10% of the external wall area had to be windows. If they did not meet this requirement, they were told, they would be prosecuted.

The place is Grade 1 listed, so they needed listed building consent too. The listed buildings officer, working down the corridor for the building control officer, told the that they must ensure that no more than 5% of the external wall area had to be windows. If they did not meet this requirement, they were told, they would be prosecuted.

They told the building control officer that they couldn't meet the 10% rule without being prosecuted by the council under listed building regulations. "Not my problem. Talk to the listed building man."

They told the listed building man that the couldn't meet the 5% rule without being prosecuted by the council under building control regulations. "Not my problem. Talk to the building control man."

Same council. Same department. They restoration project had to be put on hold for nine months while it went backwards and forwards, involving solicitors, architects and stupidity. Finally, after considerable expense, they were told that 7.5% windows would be fine.

My local council. Fucking stuff up since they day they started.
(ubergeekian, Thu 1 Mar 2012, 10:06, 5 replies)

Wouldn't it have been cheaper
to just ask one council officer to accompany them down the corridor to speak to the other? Banging their heads together would be optional.
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Thu 1 Mar 2012, 10:13, closed)

That would have been far too simple.
But just think how much extra employment such idiocy brings.
(ubergeekian, Thu 1 Mar 2012, 10:30, closed)

They should put a line for this on council tax bills.
Future Anecdotage, or something.
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Thu 1 Mar 2012, 11:26, closed)

Over Here
in Oz. We have ferocious legislation to protect all sorts of things from heritage sites to vegetation and trees.

But the builders just go ahead and cut the trees down, knock down a listed building and absorb the fines. They're rarely over $10 000 - a pittance compared to the value of the development.

cheers
( Legless Mister Stabby - shanks for the memory, Thu 1 Mar 2012, 11:27, closed)

They do that here, too
There was once a grand but derelict building, which developers wanted to demolish. It was home to a colony of bats - which I know because I was dragged to a demo by my animal-rights-fanatic girlfriend of the time.

Amazingly, the council agreed with the muesli-eaters, and refused planning permission. So, naturally, they pulled it down anyway and paid the fine.

A few years later I ended up working in the new building - one that I demonstrated to prevent being built!
(moon monkey is busy making memories worth repressing, Thu 1 Mar 2012, 11:35, closed)