Episode 2

Any policy and law is up for interpretation. Which is proved by the fact that planning officers from other towns are able to interpret' the policy and find 'material considerations' to allow people to rebuild their barns. So this has led me to think about how the personal values, experiences and ethics of an individual can thereby effect the quality, financial lives of many people and families. The very sad part is that i do not think that these people actually realise...or maybe they do! It does raise a very debatable question..how answerable are they and to who? Our own life experiences shape our character and effect any professional decision we make, let us hope that future decision makers have wide life experiences.
Which brings me on to the next episode-
I am speaking to planning, actually that is not entirely true as they do not want to speak 'please put it in writing' So i have put pencil to paper and drawn a garage with a rectangle attached- i wait with baited breath for the predictable 'your kindergarten drawing does not meet with the Wrexham development plan policies'

So if this happens we will then appeal, if this fails we will sell - I caravan site in the countryside will probaly meet with their policy.

What is good for the goose...

Why over the border is it acceptable to rebuild an identical fallen barn but in Wrexham it is not??????? Equal opps?????? Is it my name? Is it my hair colour? Is it my gender? Is it my profession? Is it ... Is it...Is it because I live in Wrexham?
http://www.crewe-nantwich.gov.uk/pdf/YC4174_Planning_App_P08_0504.pdf

And another granted but not in Wrexham:

http://www.south-norfolk.gov.uk/CARMS/meetings/pla2005-12-15min.pdf

"It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price

Thoma Sowell's words not mine! I have been thinking and trying to take a step back, While thinking and dwelling on the psychology of committees (yes I know...but I need to make sense of it and understand!) Allen defines committees in one short sharp sentence:'Committee--a group of men who individually can do nothing but as a group decide that nothing can be done.
(Allen, F, 1894 - 1956)


Perhaps I am being too harsh after all what is probably true here is that 'Any committee that is the slightest use is composed of people who are too busy to want to sit on it for a second longer than they have to' (Whitehorn). So considering this in relation to our refusal, out of 20 members only 7 were present at the site meeting, which means a majority of 4, which actually amounts to only 1 fifth -1/5th of the committee 'sitting on it seconds longer than they had to' -This does make me consider the democractic validity of the decision and brought about reality...the magnificant 7 decided our future!!

Perhaps some training from Freud would have helped 'When making a decision of minor importance, I have always found it advantageous to consider all the pros and cons. In vital matters, however,... the decision should come from the unconscious, from somewhere within ourselves. In the important decisions of personal life, we should be governed, I think, by the deep inner needs of our nature."

Click here to see the minutes for the site meeting http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/MinutesData/Planning/pl18072008m.htm

Planning update

Planning committee on Monday, 3 minutes of begging and putting forward a 'passionate plea' (committee member who was against us, 2008) for a home and financial survival, the entire situation was not dissimilar from holding out a hat and earnestly appealing for survival! Normally pride would have probably got in the way but i was not begging for a handout, freebie or to be given anything physical, just a word...'Granted'.
The democracy was evident and i was pleasently surprised-with numerous positives and some council employees negatives but the overall decision was for a site visit...to see what is left...oh,... dearrr, A gable! I doubt the 'deserted travellers site look' will prove favourable for us.
Oh, that reminds me, the good news is at least we have some people who want to buy Loweroak, as to comply with council policy it is no use to man, goat, pig, industrial, haulage, sheep, martian or dog as it is outside the 'settlement' and in the 'countryside' emmm this makes me ponder i have a title for the wxm leader (incidentally they called today for a story!I could not think of anything worse than me standing, pointing to the fallen bricks.....cringe)

Fingers crossed

It is now submitted. The plans..., not my application to a 'mind retirement home'.
Hypocrasy! All the policies for this and that -environmental, sustainable, eco, access and future istic building regulations, most of which I do agree with. But there is a Big- HOWEVER, I have just sent in an aplication which was aprox 33 pages- then I have had to copy it 4 times at least 130 pages of wasted ink, electricity, paper etc- I am sure in this techno, electronic year2008 we live in, this is not necessary.
On the good side my local MP visited our 'gable end monument' and has pledged his support. Little words of support mean alot and I have been surprised where these have been delivered from. Thank you -
So, in the mean time , I will continue to clean bricks (1 a day is enough!) and plant my gold plated potatoes with my fingers crosed.

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty

As I have said ealier, i have never been pessimistic. Conversely this morning, i thought i was...
However, after reading Churchill's above quote I have realised that I was not being negative, but I just did not have any fight left in me and I was allowing myself to only see the 'difficulty in the opportunity' which I was being faced with.
I awoke this morning to... no...not another bl**y bang but to a frame of mind that said 'don't set your self up for any more let downs' and by the afternoon after words of encouragment and constuctive advice-, the 'opportunity' I had to build me and eventually the barn had dawned...Let the fight begin...

wind turbines

Is n't there a saying about not being aware of what is on your door step? Well, silly me! There was me thinking about GSHP's, log burners and Solar when all along we are living in a wind tunnel! Yes the vane of my life is back, Met office forecast 'gusts' oh great! Perhaps I should consider changing my web home page to 'the Met office'.

• Geoff (our scaffolder) said today 'I would not like to be living in fear of the wind, like you poor souls' How right he is- How awful for the kids that I have had to cancel going away this Easter weekend because of the wind. On a more positive note, how lucky we are that there are some genuine, helpful people around. Extra Scaffolding is going up tomorrow, ironically on GOOD friday.
• Actually thinking about wind turbines...I would need planning permission...emmm