to think if you don't have planning permission, you should be prepared to face the consequences?

[ChucksAhoy]

Watching Damned Designs on C4 and although the programme seems to be very empathetic towards them, I can't help but not feel particularly sympathetic for those people who have tried to exploit loopholes in order to build their houses without planning permission.

If you're not sure, go for pre-planning advice but for goodness sake don't skip planning all together!

Planning law is there for a reason, and that's not to satisfy the whims of individuals (btw I don't work in Planning, but have been through the process!)

(a) lots of applications are decided under delegated powers
(b) no elected councillors here, we're in a National Park, (c) the advice from planning officers goes a long way to influencing decisions.

Actually that's not entirely true, there are councillors on the NPA, but it's rather different to dealing with a council.

One approach often recommended here is to put in an application, sit out the 8 weeks and then appeal on grounds of non-determination to the planning inspectorate, who are generally considered less biased.

There was an Australian one I watched where they demolished their existing house without planning permission saying that they found a loophole as long as they were essentially rebuilding the same house. But then they had to "repair" the slab, which seemingly required them to extend it quite extensively. Neighbours all complained, council put a stop to it. Owners disgusted that their neighbours didn't want a monstrosity built on top of the hill and overlooking all of their properties. It really destroyed the relationship between them and their neighbours and I always wonder if it is worth it when you've ruined any chance of any decent relationship with your neighbours.

If the Council admited their case had no reasonable chance of sucess you should have applied for costs against them.

It always makes me laugh when these people who have built unlawfully say what fantastic views they have and how perfect it it. YES because people arent allowed to build there!!!!