The Planning/Daylight Robbery Department

[JoM]

My parents live on a main road, a B road, and have no off-street parking. We park on a side street when we visit. They've decided that they want a drive and less garden so we looked into it all for them and they had to request forms to fill in from the county council. Weeks passed and no forms arrived, despite phone calls. And then four arrived on the same day. I was given one to fill in and it stated that if the road was classified - ie an A, B or C road - then planning permission from the local council was required for a dropped kerb.
I told Dad to call the local council to arrange for the forms to be sent so that they could apply for planning permission. He was asked for his address after explaining what he needed and was told that they didn't require planning permission. He told me and I queried it and asked for it in writing from the planning dept - because the road is classified. A letter duly arrived in mid-May stating that permission was not required so that was photocopied and sent off with the forms to the county council who said that they'd call for their £110 fee which had to be paid over the phone.

Last week they received their forms back, stating that they couldn't start to process them as planning permission was required because the road is classified. On the same day they received a letter from the local council stating that an error had been made - twice verbally and once in writing - so planning permission would need to be applied for so please fill in the enclosed forms and return with the plans and a payment of £172. Actually, it wasn't just the forms and plans that needed returning but they also wanted everything copied three times - the application form, the plans for the drive, a map of the area showing their property boundaries in red and the certificate of ownership which was a part of the application form. I dropped them into the council offices on Monday morning and asked to speak to someone in planning about the process so the receptionist put me through on her phone.

I was told that neighbours have to have a minimum of 3 weeks to respond to the notice of planning so I asked if they could speed up the process of being notified seeing as the council had cocked up and were delaying them getting it done (they love their garden and are anxious to get it sorted before Winter) and the fella said that as soon as the forms arrived on his desk he'd start actioning whatever needed doing. I asked the receptionist to make sure they were on his desk that day.

It's now Saturday and none of the neighbours have been notified by letter or by a sign on a lamppost.

But it gets better. They had a drive firm around yesterday for a quote, a very reputable local company. The man said that the price included the cost of dropping the kerb and also the £200 digging fee that has to be paid to the county council. He said that the county council used to send a council officer out to supervise work but don't have the staff now so the boss of the drive company has been trained to watch, but the council still take the money.

[Diflower]

Jeez Jo, it's ever so hard to keep your temper with these people isn't it?!

[JoM]

Oh definitely Di!

[Kaz]

[saundra]

That's disgusting all these silly rules and regulations
Hope it soon gets sorted

[tonicha]