Libel/defamatory comments on planning application

[Jilly]

29 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

Not with physics you won't.

But we all need time to reflect, DrT   ?

I much prefer the proclivities of the English language to the mysteries of physics. 

[SteamyTea]

10 minutes ago, Jilly said:

much prefer the proclivities of the English language to the mysteries of physics.

No mysteries in known physics.

But words, in English, can be spelt the same and mean something different, and pronounced different and the they can be spelt different and pronounced the same.

It is half the reason people disagree on things, the other half is they don't learn physics.

[TonyT]

Just spread a few positive rumours yourself.

 

spread a few white lies, different stories to different people, keeping track of what you told to whom.

that will let you work out who the gossip is.

 

Just like office politics
 

[SteamyTea]

8 minutes ago, TonyT said:

will let you work out who the gossip is.

I am quite clear with my customers, it is the postman that starts the gossip.

I start gossip about the postman.

[Pocster]

49 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

I am quite clear with my customers, it is the postman that starts the gossip.

I start gossip about the postman.

I heard the postman started you 

[AliG]

Luckily we didn’t build in a village with this kind of incomer attitude but the immediate neighbours have all lived in the area for 40+ years, something they felt was relevant enough to put in their objections. It was originally a village on the outskirts of the city.

 

We are fairly certain that the next door neighbours organised objections. They included things such as we might turn the house into a dance school and the local community council objecting to the house with a reason being it was the largest house built in the area since the 1920s.

 

I got really wound up, and particularly wanted to have a go at the community council who also objected to my parents house whilst not objecting to a particularly ugly house built right on the main road into the area. If they are going to work in some statutory capacity they need to have some logic behind their objections but apparently not. I think they have a mate in the street.

 

Anyway since moving in everyone has been absolutely lovely. I think they just didn’t want a house built and once it was happening they accepted it.  Nonsense objections are part of the game. We just remained pleasant and civil to everyone and it seems to have worked out.

 

If I am being very honest they are all so old I decided that in the worst case scenario I’d wait them out!

 

They have accused you of doing something underhand so I can see your concerns. I think though if you just act like it hasn’t got

to you and pretend nothing happened it’s for the best. I can’t guarantee this strategy will work but I think it’s more likely to work than lawyers letters that will get people wound up.

 

 

[DamonHD]

5 hours ago, Omnibuswoman said:

 

 Internet providers have also been sued for hosting libellous comments, but without success to date.

I beg to differ.  One of my more interesting clients, when I ran an ISP, decided that he was bored with us and moved to Demon (many many years ago), and took them for £100k as I recall.

 

I think the key issue is editorial control.  If the council (or whoever) decides that something is OK and *chooses* to publish it, then they may be liable.

 

Rgds

 

Damon

Edited December 5, 2021 by DamonHD

[ToughButterCup]

On 04/12/2021 at 15:49, Omnibuswoman said:

...

Has anyone else had personal comments made when commenting on planning applications? How did you handle them?

...

 

Council Meeting Committe Room: 30  people present

Chair of the Council Meeting: "Now, we turn to comments from members of the public for comment on the proposal for Salamander Cottage"

 

Next Door neighbour  :  "Aye, ahh've gorra comment - (stands, turns to look at me and SWMBO) tha's innit ter mek munney lad, thats top an' borrom of it

 

SWMBO :  digs stiletto heel into my shoe  *king painfully. I bite my tongue for the first time ever. Ever.  (Outside  professional requirements)

 

Next Door neighbour but one addresses the Chair : 'Eeees init ter mek munne, 'ees jus' laaak them uthers roun' 'ere mekkin mune: ee's jus gonna build,  sell up an' go

 

Chair of the Council Meeting:  "What has that got to do with Material Matters in relation to Planning? "

 

 Next Door neighbour: Pointedly looks at me , sneers. Sits down heavily, sighs.

 

Next Door Neighbour but two (father of the aforementioned neighbours) " Well ah'd like ter raise 't same concerns - 'ees jus' mekkin munne, plus 'ees gunna mek an 'ell uvver mess on it.   "

 

(Oh - on refelction how right he was)

 

Councillor Mrs 'Bussell' : (not on the Planning Committe) Stands, smirks, almost breaks wind, rictus grin,  nods to the Chair : "  Well I simply hev to say that the proposed hice  would ruin my Sunday morning walk. The proposed hice will be part of a chocolate-box row of hizzes, such a jewel in our area. Ennnnnd of corse, faaaaar too many people are getting permission - faaar too many. "   

 

Sits down, breaks wind; there's an audible local gasp. And a  cough or two.

Thinks I : Speak again Thou Sweet Lips that never told a lie ......... Talks out of her ar@e as it is anyway.

 

Chair decides to throw convention to the wind and joins the fray:  "Well, I do rather think that the proposed house could at least be built of stone. Raaather.

 

The stiletto goes deeper into my foot which, by now is crying like a big girl.

 

Think of it as a rite of passge @Omnibuswoman. Want me to come round and fettle them for ya? 

 

[Omnibuswoman]

1 hour ago, AliG said:

 

If I am being very honest they are all so old I decided that in the worst case scenario I’d wait them out!

 

The average age in the village is considerably above ours, so I have had the same thought. We’ve potentially another 40-50 years to enjoy there, long after the naysayers are pushing up the daisies. 
 

It also occurred to me that with the population being as aged as they are, memories are likely to be short! ?

 

Seriously though, I’ve asked the council to remove offensive stuff, but you may be right about the risk of legal letters inflaming tensions. Whilst I anticipate the closest neighbour continuing her campaign (she has already reported us to the police for “crimes against bats” and to the council for breach of the TPO because our warning poster on the heras fencing got wet and became unreadable), the others are not direct neighbours of ours and will in all likelihood simply accept the build as inevitable once the permission has been granted.  
 

[epsilonGreedy]

51 minutes ago, ToughButterCup said:

 

Next Door neighbour but one addresses the Chair : 'Eeees init ter mek munne, 'ees jus' laaak them uthers roun' 'ere mekkin mune: ee's jus gonna build,  sell up an' go

 

 

You have broken Goggle Translate.

[ToughButterCup]

1 hour ago, epsilonGreedy said:

You have broken Goggle Translate.

 

Infamy, infamy at long last ! Google Translate's got it in for me.

[Pocster]

2 hours ago, epsilonGreedy said:

 

You have broken Goggle Translate.

I still don’t understand/ can translate 

[joe90]

3 hours ago, Omnibuswoman said:

Whilst I anticipate the closest neighbour continuing her campaign (she has already reported us to the police for “crimes against bats” and to the council for breach of the TPO because our warning poster on the heras fencing got wet and became unreadable), the others are not direct neighbours of ours and will in all likelihood simply accept the build as inevitable once the permission has been granted.  

In our case I just made sure I never did anything wrong, that way, any allegations can be proved wrong (with a smile on your face). Their loss not yours.

[Onoff]

Small villages can be very cliquey. 

 

Lots of people with FA else to focus on. 

 

Our GP told the truth to a patient and was eventually hounded out. Talk about a pack mentality ganging up on him! 

 

Top bloke imo. 

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2086062/amp/Rude-GP-Dr-Richard-Dunn-told-patient-Youll-die-horrible-death.html

[joe90]

I prefer a doctor like that, tells the truth and no BS. 

[Bitpipe]

Harold Shipman had a lovely bedside manner apparently…

[joe90]

9 minutes ago, Bitpipe said:

Harold Shipman had a lovely bedside manner apparently…

I rest my case

[Omnibuswoman]

16 minutes ago, joe90 said:

I prefer a doctor like that, tells the truth and no BS. 

 

+1

 

Some of the doctors I work with tell me that they 'couldn't do [my] job' and don't understand how it doesn't get to me (complaints investigations). I can sincerely say that the converse is also true. I could not see patients all day that I thought were being foolish, or unreasonable, or obtuse, and not say something very direct about what I thought.

I don't know how more of them don't get into this sort of trouble!!

[Omnibuswoman]

52 minutes ago, Onoff said:

Small villages can be very cliquey. 

 

Lots of people with FA else to focus on. 

 

Our GP told the truth to a patient and was eventually hounded out. Talk about a pack mentality ganging up on him! 

 

Top bloke imo. 

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2086062/amp/Rude-GP-Dr-Richard-Dunn-told-patient-Youll-die-horrible-death.html

 

I'll see if I can find what the GMC did with him....

[Onoff]

25 minutes ago, joe90 said:

I prefer a doctor like that, tells the truth and no BS. 

 

I miss him tbh. Both SWMBO and I have a lot of time for him. I wrote a letter of support etc but to no avail.

 

Think he had the last laugh as the surgery has seriously gone downhill since he left. 

 

[joe90]

Back in Bristol my GP retired early and I got on well with him, he also moved to Cornwall and popped in to see me during the build. When I asked him why he stopped he told me patients like me were great, willing to do what I could to help myself, but the majority were just winging moaners who wanted a miracle pill and didn’t want to help themselves and blamed him when it all went wrong.

[Omnibuswoman]

7 minutes ago, Onoff said:

 

I miss him tbh. Both SWMBO and I have a lot of time for him. I wrote a letter of support etc but to no avail.

 

Think he had the last laugh as the surgery has seriously gone downhill since he left. 

 

 

That's a shame. It sounds as though everyone has lost out really.

 

I can't see that he has been through the MPTS at all. The CCG applied to stop him from being one of their GPs rather than going through the fitness to practice route, so he should be still able to practice outside of West Kent CCG area. 

[joe90]

8 minutes ago, Omnibuswoman said:

so he should be still able to practice outside of West Kent CCG area. 

Ask him if he wants to move to North Devon, I will volunteer to be his patient ?

[ToughButterCup]

10 hours ago, pocster said:

I still don’t understand/ can translate 

....

 " Well ah'd like ter raise 't same concerns - 'ees jus' mekkin munne, plus 'ees gunna mek an 'ell uvver mess on it.   "

...

tr from the vernacular above to;

 

Hail citizen of West Lancashire! I, as a citizen of the aforementioned zone, make plea that our esteemed colleagues of Salamander Cottage are  speculators of the worst kind. They merely plan to;  design, build, flog and run. And since the esteemed applicant has no idea how to build anything,  he's going to screw up big time.

 

 

[SteamyTea]

53 minutes ago, ToughButterCup said:

he's going to screw up big time

He must have been reading all your trials and tribulations on here