[diggers350] Planning row - Taunton bungalow demolished today

[Simon Fairlie]

I think its a bit out of order to call the planners "anonymous  
faceless zombies" when there  is no evidence , other than the  
complaints from  the people evicted, that the planners have done  
anything out of order.

If there is a condition requiring the Gosbee's to demolish the first  
house, in exchange for the new one,  then they have made a  
speculative profit by selling off the new permission and staying in  
the original one,  and it is quite correct for the planners to  
require its demolition. What else are they supposed to do? Allow this  
kind of  speculation to continue, and be copied by other people?

It is entirely possible that the Gosbee's have been messed around by  
the council — it certainly  does happen that councils force  
demolitions for unjustifiable reasons— but there is no evidence  
presented here to show that that is what has happened.

Simon


On 25 Nov 2008, at 18:47, Gerrard Winstanley wrote:

> Planning row bungalow demolished
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/7747151.stm
>
> A bungalow in Somerset which has been at the centre of a planning
> dispute for 15 years has been demolished.
>
> Anonymous faceless zombies from Sedgemoor District Council sent in
> contractors to knock down the property, in Shearston near Taunton,
> because of planning irregularities.
>
> Richard and Linda Gosbee received an eviction notice earlier this  
> month.
>
> Their possessions were taken from the bungalow and are being held in
> store. The Gosbees said they were being victimised by the council.
>
> Second home
>
> Despite a High Court ruling supporting Sedgemoor District Council, the
> couple refused to move.
>
> They now face a £40,000 bill.
>
> Mr and Mrs Gosbee won planning consent for a new home on their land in
> 1992.
>
> They were required to knock down their old property, but instead they
> sold the land with planning permission and stayed in the bungalow.
>
> Another home was built on the land they once owned.
>
> As the bailiffs arrived earlier this month, Mrs Gosbee said: "We had
> planning permission for two dwellings on the land - I reiterate that.
> We have done nothing wrong."
>
> Bob Brown, of Sedgemoor District Council, said: "There are all those
> thousands of people who comply with the planning regulations and it
> would be unfair on them, I think, if we failed to enforce planning
> regulations properly and allowed Mr and Mrs Gosbee to get away with  
> it."
>
> The Gosbees face a bill for £40,000 from the council
>
>
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