Waltham- on-the-Wolds Planning row over 'mobile' log cabin

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http://www.meltontimes.co.uk/news/Planning-row-over-39mobile39-log.4855843.jp

Planning row over 'mobile' log cabin


Stuart Nugent outiide the 'mobile' log cabin

Date: 08 January 2009
THURSDAY 4PM: A FAMILY fighting to keep its home took on Melton Council at 
an appeal to overturn an order to pull it down.

Stuart and Anita Nugent built a log cabin in Waltham- on-the-Wolds with no 
planning permission but argue that it is mobile and should be technically 
considered a caravan meaning they can keep it.

But officials disagreed and said it contravened planning laws and should 
never have been built, serving an enforcement notice ordering them to tear 
it down.

At a day-long appeal against the decision on Tuesday John Wren, representing 
the family, said: "We are saying the enforcement notice should be quashed 
because what is on site is a caravan by definition under the Caravan Sites 
Act."

He argued that using girders and one or two cranes it is possible to lift 
the structure up onto a lorry and a structural engineer agreed.
The council representatives said they agreed it was possible but it would 
require up to 28 steel beams surrounding the cabin and internal supports to 
stop the building breaking.

Andrew Dudley, council enforcement officer said: "I have watched tv 
programmes where they have taken extreme engineering solutions to move 
mega-structures like sky-scrapers down the street, or houses across America. 
An engineering solution can always be found but just because something can 
be moved doesn't mean it is mobile."

He said the methods required were complex and would result in the building 
being damaged.

Jim Worley, the council's head of regulatory services, added: "It is worthy 
of note that the appellant's own structural engineer says you need 450mm to 
get the beams under the structure, but there is maybe half that space."

But Mr Wren maintained it was still possible whatever the methods were 
needed and that neither the law nor previous cases stated it had to be easy.

A decision on the appeal heard by planning inspector David Hainsworth is 
expected to be made in a few weeks.

The full article contains 343 words and appears in n/a newspaper.

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