ToughButterCup

Your problem was exactly the one I had a few years back. The short answer is : you can nudge, cajole, hint , suggest - but educate - I suspect thats a step too far with a planner. Look at this image The cottages further down our lane are often called 'a chocolate-box row of cottages' . And we go and plonk a passivhaus 'monstrosity' on the same lane. I'm not known for cutting a long story short, but I'm going to have to. Because you'd die of boredom reading about the ticklish, delicate fussing we needed to do to get the planner to agree. Loads of compromise, lots of patience, many many sleepless nights. And a friggin' brilliant diplomat of an architect. The house has weathered now to a silvery grey - the image shows new wooden cladding. Now, all grey and silver, it looks like a barn conversion - Thats what sold it to the planner. Something new (our house) taking a lesson from what's already there .... farms with solid wooden clad barns; over the years they fade to silvery grey. Compromise, patience, subtle flattery, listening. And nerve. The chair of the council dropped in to our place the other day (about our neighbour who is testing HM Inspectorate a bit) . Originally, she had objected strongly to our proposal...... Looking round she said "I see what you were on about now : it fades into the countryside doesn't it " As ever, Ian puts it well,

A few hours research on your LPAs website will likely tell you the answer. My fingertips tell me : No, you can't build on land with that designation.

I mustn't raise false hopes: but I wish I had a quid for every time I've heard or read that. Given the pre-app advice, you've got little to worry about. Someone somewhere has an axe to grind, and they're doing it because they can do so but hide from scrutiny. That said, a great deal depends on the micropolitics of the Planning Department . Have a read of this .... The second paragraph bears committing to memory Vintage Martin Goodhall. Shame he's retired now. I'm not saying that this is - for sure - happening in your case, but what I am saying is that the planning system is so unprofessionally run that there's always a significant element of chance in any application. Here is one of his gems: 30 minutes fire-side reading for all who want to submit a planning application. Top advice from @Dave Jones , but read it in context of what Martin Goodhall says above: beware micropolitics

The Planning Application process is jangling for anyone. You are in good supportive company here. Most Planning Committees do as they are told by the Officers (Planners) - because to do otherwise would mean committee members doing lots more work on the cases before them. So if - and its by no means certain - that the members of the Committee have read a copy of that recommended Approval, then the Committee could well approve your application. Do you know who and / or why your application has been called in? Know the answer to that issue and you have the beginnings of a defence of your application. Ring the Planner who mis dealing with your application and ask - directly - why your application has been called in.

I know, lets all do a comparative table: get our respective OHs to perform, send the results to @SteamyTea - who would anonymise the results , work his Excel Magic and then publish them.

"Right sweetheart, tell me when ..... 'cos I need to put my ear to the pipe: oh and don't forget to tell me how big it was "

Here is an excellent resource for you to read by Martin Goodhall. Unfortunately he has just retired. Scroll down the left hand side and you'll see links to the series on Barn Conversions. He has a very readable written style - laced with the odd flash of wry humour.

Your post illustrates a simple truism: as valid for self-builders as everyone else. Cost, Quality, Time. You can have any two. But not three. Its called the Scope Triangle Do it yourself and learn to enjoy doing it yourself.

Interesting Gary. Next door to us, we have a landowner who built a dwelling house INSIDE his caravan. He also managed to build an open-to-air cesspit which he allows to overflow onto the track next to his land. It never gets pumped. The cesspit is so big that it's visible on Google Maps. I wrote to the Planning Department several times. The local LPA simply shrugged. Enforcement Appeal to be heard on the 23rd of this month.

Who are ... 'they' ? Is the pole the subject of a covenant, if so what date was the covenant issued, and what does the covenant say? I ask about the date because if the covenant is about to lapse, then your problem could well change.

RAL 7016. Mid Grey.

When I played with mine I learned that I needed to 'tune' it really carefully to make the best use of the results. It was very surprising to see my own heat signature reflected by the glass in the window infront of me. I could tune that distracting information out by altering the sensitivity range of the sensor.

It's whatever the nearest woman says it is. Me coats almost on ..... byeeeee

Still under 6 feel of ice .

Fings is lookin' up.... One whole 48p's worth of PV generated by lunchtime for the first time this year. Snowdrops are poking their heads up , and Rees Mogg isn't on the radio every bleedin' day. Whass not ter like?

Peeping Tommery innit .....

This shower-head is calcifying a bit ......... and Geberit have told me that the guarantee is invalid if we've used 'strong' chemicals to decalcify it. Asked what 'strong ' is , answer came there none. Asked for a recommendation, answer came there also none. I suggested the loo decalcifier that you have to use with Geberit bum-washers. Answer "Whassat" And at £14 for a few ml of the Geberit Bum-Wash-Bog-Cleaner over a few years, that makes the cost of ownership more expensive than the original purchase. Is there something simple that will take the calcium away but won't destroy the oscillating mechanism inside the head?

Wish I could take my own advice sometimes 😑

Yes. Add affordability to design errors, project management errors, plain simple disasters, naivete, hip replacement(s) and Beep "Hooston, we gat a prablum" Beep. There's nowt else for it. Just Bloody Do It. Myself. Both of us have faced (and faced down) and beaten huge problems before. This is just another one . We wince, grizzle and niggle regularly, but then Friday night comes along - (International Party Night) , Saturday recovering, Sunday planning. And then along comes a few successes: (piling £6.5K when £22K was the average, successful insurance claim from a wall collapse, cracking architect, kind passers-by, good mates making stuff for me to dig me out of the soft and smelly, good local chippy, excellent orthopaedic surgeon) Not having enough money makes me think - much harder than I normally would. And thats an asset.

Ya live and learn. Which App goes with it Mike?

Well founded founded persistence always brings increasing resilience in it's wake. You just get better at it. There will be many similar tests. Remember your previous success. It's the foundation of tomorrow's.

And so much better than extended silence followed by unanswered phone calls. Building a house pushes everyone involved, even when things are going well. Can your ex-builder put you on to anyone?

I remember a post by @TerryE advising us to - after 6 months or so - going round to check the tightness of terminal screws. And I thought - well I winced - 'tain't gonna ' appen pal. An' anyway the man's retired innee... Hmmmm.

I'm in love....

You and yer Flemish blonds Russ 🙄