Plotlands clampdown
Interesting today to read in Planning (subs only) that the government is clamping down on property speculators who subdivide fields into plots for sale without planning permission.
In an echo of the complaints by the establishment against the early 20th century plotlands, John Stambollouian, head of development control at the ODPM said: "These sales have created a number of problems for local planning authorities. The impacts on visual amenity relate to the erection of fences and other minor development..."
Let's protect our sterile, over-farmed countryside because to admit it might be more useful for living on than for looking at goes against all our dreams of 'natural' arcadia lorded over by the old establishment, with the peasants safely out of sight! As opposed to the idea that allowing citizens to live out their 'good life' dreams of smallholding and country life might be democratic...But before I start sounding like a Tory (vide Cameron's recent pronouncements on the subject), there's a fine line between utopian socialist visions of country life and allowing rapacious developers to build whatever they want and then charge a fortune for it...
In an echo of the complaints by the establishment against the early 20th century plotlands, John Stambollouian, head of development control at the ODPM said: "These sales have created a number of problems for local planning authorities. The impacts on visual amenity relate to the erection of fences and other minor development..."
Let's protect our sterile, over-farmed countryside because to admit it might be more useful for living on than for looking at goes against all our dreams of 'natural' arcadia lorded over by the old establishment, with the peasants safely out of sight! As opposed to the idea that allowing citizens to live out their 'good life' dreams of smallholding and country life might be democratic...But before I start sounding like a Tory (vide Cameron's recent pronouncements on the subject), there's a fine line between utopian socialist visions of country life and allowing rapacious developers to build whatever they want and then charge a fortune for it...
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