Neighbours Revisited

Huttonian gets it wrong sometimes and he has got this one wrong big time. But judging from, incredible as it may seem, that the application to build 4 new houses at Hutton Castle Barns, withdrawn after strong objections to the original proposal, has been lobbed in again. I had told one of the previous objectors that I was confident that the idea was dead. Wrong.Very.

The application is identical in every way to the original one. Not a nod towards the comments made before many of them based on good planning objections. Not even an attempt to address the difficult problem of access. The application is slightly economical with the actualite in that it refers to the Roads Officer having no difficulty with the issue of access-indeed 'supports the proposal': through the existing entrance to the M Farm. A bloggee with a better memory than mine (many of them around) has recalled that the Roads Department said that they had no issue of principle over the building of the 4 houses but were concerned about the access. But, and here's the rub-a reapplication of an unamended proposal (within a year)is free! So lob it back boys and keep your cash under the bed. Otherwise the timing is extraordinary-building now ! When you see all the properties for sale around the area in the midst of a serious recession it seems silly to add to the over plentiful stock.

I doubt if it will go through.I hope not to be wrong this time. The objections* made earlier will be renewed in spades including a well researched comment by the Hutton and Paxton Community Council. I had heard that the original application was likely to fail-hence its withdrawal. And the whole sorry business arises from a total lack of communication and consultation between neighbours. It would have made sense for the Ms to have crossed the road to discuss with the people most closely effected how their plans might be made more acceptable rather than proceeding by formal 'neighbour notification' and the Council Website. Unfriendly or what?

The Council website invites comments.

Go to it.

(* Indeed. Already a neighbour has written covering the ground rather well especially on the lack of consultation and access.

Labels: building in the countryside, Hutton Castle Barns, Planning

  ¶ 12:21 PM (0) comments

 
Holding back the Concrete Mixers



A bloggee who has been at the cutting edge of development in the countryside has sent Huttonian this extract from the Taylor Review whose sentiments I am confident he shares:
The planning process has to become an engine of regeneration or we face a future of rural decline. Over-zealous or ill-thought through restriction of development has held back rural economies and made rural homes increasingly unaffordable. The right balance of housing and employment opportunities are crucial. We need a can-do system that asks the question of each development proposal “how will this development add to or diminish the sustainability of this community” and includes social, economic and environmental factors in the answer.

‘Living working countryside’ The Taylor Review of Rural Economy and Affordable Housing

I am not sure how the building on green field sites of, say,McMansions-to pluck an example out of the ether, reverses rural decline; If they were destined for thrusting entrepreneurs investing all in the local community, creating employment and patronising local institutions then well and good. But I fear its more likely to be snapped up by either wealthy retirees or well heeled business blokes working in Embra or Newcastle who will neither 'patronise' the local pub nor get themselves involved in the community, Whist in Hutton Village Hall, I don't think so. And all this desirable, basically suburban, property at (well used to be)sky high prices makes housing for local people, in the words of Taylor ' increasingly unaffordable'

But it is all rather academic. With property prices falling and mortgages increasingly unobtainable the day of big developments-or even the odd couple of bijou villas has gone for the moment. So its back to extensions, double garages-house improvemnents rather than moves. And in some cases the term 'improvement' is bit of a misnomer. The '39 Steps' in one property in down town Hutton. Would look good in the Costa Del Developpa' But in the Merse?

Oh Dear

(These Mc Mansions, seen above, are not on the Tweed but they could be. Thank God for the timely recession)

Labels: building in the countryside, Inappropriate Development

  ¶ 12:29 PM (0) comments

 
Hoarse with excitement?

The Berwickshire is seemingly increasingly desperate to fill its vast column inches and when it is not dogs stuck down rabbit holes it is horses writing to the editor


SIR, - We would like to thank the person who contacted the RSPCA, as they were concerned about our welfare at the Law Field, Coldingham, as on the inspectors’ findings we were described as being in very good condition.
The case may be that this person has no knowledge of the equine world - well rest assured our owners do.
So we ask this person, next time in passing, to take a good look around our field, and not from the window of a passing bus and they too will find we are well cared for. Yes there is not a lot of grass in our field just now, but we are fed and watered daily and we have all the hay our hearts desire.
So we ask this person not to worry as we are in NEIGH danger of starving!
EDD and NAVARA,
(Horses at the Law Field, Coldingham).


And its good to know that there are still parts of this wild frontier you can reach by bus-presumably mostly used by country folk who might know a thing or two about horses. And if this is Big Jim country-if your fields can no longer support your equine friends, don't worry-offer them for development.

You know that makes sense

(The image may be of Edd or Navara looking for spell checker on his Pony Computer (PC)

Labels: Berwickshire News, building in the countryside, Horses as writers

  ¶ 9:27 AM (10) comments