Devon mud hut couple offered Travelodge

Devon mud hut couple offered Travelodge

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Discussion

Thankyou4calling

10,595 posts

172 months

Saturday 16th December 2017
quotequote all
Equus said:
I detect a slight problem, there...

Not sure that stainless steel qualifies as a 'totally natural material', either!
Or plastic bubbles !

Equus

16,770 posts

100 months

Saturday 16th December 2017
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TooMany2cvs said:
Is it?

It's somebody who's built on their land, without PP, and has come up with an implausible sob-story to justify it. That's not that exceptional. It certainly wouldn't be particularly exceptional if it was given the nod.
What is exceptional (if the story is to be believed), is that they are living genuinely sustainably, with a sustainable rural business.

The rules fundamentally support this (even more so in Wales, where there is an explicit framework for the approval of such dwellings). Had they gone through the correct legal process, and presented their case in the correct way,there's every chance that it should have been approved.

Their problem is that they almost certainly lack the knowledge to be able deal with the bureaucracy themselves, and probably can't afford to pay appropriately skilled consultants to do it for them.

Meanwhile, if you're a multi-millionaire, it's relatively easy to get permission to build something like this in open countryside (entirely legitimately - without any brown envelopes stuffed with cash):


Equus

16,770 posts

100 months

Saturday 16th December 2017
quotequote all
ferrariF50lover said:
Or you could do the work pro bono and the local paper would fall over themselves to print the story (and half a dozen follow-ups).
For what it'd actually cost you...
It did occur to me; it's even virtually next door to where our Planning Director lives.... but the reason it's so expensive is that there's a hell of a lot of work (time) involved, even for the experts.

Difficult to justify, where we're already turning away paying customers due to lack of resource.

Edited by Equus on Saturday 16th December 11:45

LordGrover

33,531 posts

211 months

Saturday 16th December 2017
quotequote all
I can appreciate the council's stance, but wish the couple all the best. I like oddballs.

CanAm

9,115 posts

271 months

Saturday 16th December 2017
quotequote all
Thankyou4calling said:
Equus said:
I detect a slight problem, there...

Not sure that stainless steel qualifies as a 'totally natural material', either!
Or plastic bubbles !
Exactly!!!

bazza white

3,551 posts

127 months

Saturday 16th December 2017
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It should have gone through planning yes but planning is totally backwards in this country and favours huge developments rather than a man and his castle. More flexibility for single house builders would be much appreciated.

Equus

16,770 posts

100 months

Saturday 16th December 2017
quotequote all
bazza white said:
More flexibility for single house builders would be much appreciated.
To be fair, there are numerous 'special measures' already available that favour single housebuilders: Paragraph 55, the self build register, exemption from CIL, exemption from VAT, Class Q Permitted Development... they have to draw the line somewhere, I guess.


foxbody-87

2,675 posts

165 months

Saturday 16th December 2017
quotequote all
They are ‘allergic to 21st century living’ - but I wonder if that would extend to 21st century medicine if they were ill?

This is the only issue I have with hippy types. They want to live off-grid, no formal job/tax, but then everyone else foots the bill when they need treatment etc

RemyMartin81D

6,759 posts

204 months

Saturday 16th December 2017
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Maybe they watched better call Saul and liked the idea of made up illnesses.

mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

254 months

Saturday 16th December 2017
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When I take over, everybody in "planning" will be rounded up, shipped to the South Atlantic and dumped on a rock.

Well, most of them, that is, with the exception of the arse who couldn't wait for an injury to heal, made me move some stuff and put the healing process back two years...irked

HE will get special treatment....hehe

Anybody know if I can sue his office for this? I'm not into this stuff, but I could cheerfully make an exception here....smile

CanAm

9,115 posts

271 months

Saturday 16th December 2017
quotequote all
CanAm said:
Thankyou4calling said:
Equus said:
I detect a slight problem, there...

Not sure that stainless steel qualifies as a 'totally natural material', either!
Or plastic bubbles !
Exactly!!!
Which is why I'm not convinced by these Total Allergy Syndrome or OCD sufferers who often seem to have little flaws in their beliefs. (see above).

My wife was at our local GP practice and the lady next to her was a nervous wreck because she "has Trypanophobia" (a morbid fear of injections). "But you've got tattoos", says Mrs CanAm.

Russian Troll Bot

24,942 posts

226 months

Monday 18th December 2017
quotequote all
Equus said:
CanAm said:
She was allergic to all 20th Century materials and was only able to come into contact with totally natural materials such as "wood, cotton, china and stainless steel." It was so bad that she was forced to live in isolation inside a plastic bubble...........
I detect a slight problem, there...

Not sure that stainless steel qualifies as a 'totally natural material', either!
How did she manage to record albums and videos without using modern materials?

CanAm

9,115 posts

271 months

Monday 18th December 2017
quotequote all
Russian Troll Bot said:
How did she manage to record albums and videos without using modern materials?
IIRC the ailment only manifested itself after their run of hit. biggrin

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Monday 18th December 2017
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As for the "modern material" allergy - it's not hard to find the planning applications for the site, and the more recent of the two applications includes a "polytunnel" and "hardstanding".

Both were rejected on the same grounds - insufficient agricultural requirement, as they do not have sufficient livestock to require 24x7 presence on-site and their business is not seen as viable; located in raised flood-risk area; and incompatibility with the local plan as the development is too visible from the main road and other public places. The more recent rejection also goes to great lengths to state how the LA have tried to work pro-actively with the applicants to find a mutually acceptable solution... The first application went in nearly two years ago.

Russian Troll Bot

24,942 posts

226 months

Monday 18th December 2017
quotequote all
CanAm said:
Russian Troll Bot said:
How did she manage to record albums and videos without using modern materials?
IIRC the ailment only manifested itself after their run of hit. biggrin
If only the likes of Lilly Allen could suffer from the same affliction

austinsmirk

5,597 posts

122 months

Monday 18th December 2017
quotequote all
CanAm said:
I see the lady of the house suffers from "Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, also known as idiopathic environmental intolerance".

This reminds me of the girl singer from 70s pop group Picketywitch (IIRC) who was suffering from "Total Allergy Syndrome". She was allergic to all 20th Century materials and was only able to come into contact with totally natural materials such as "wood, cotton, china and stainless steel." It was so bad that she was forced to live in isolation inside a plastic bubble...........
I once dealt (in my social housing days) with a bloke who demanded to live in a detached, 1 bed rural cottage, far away from pylons, mobile phone masts, anything electrical. He told me he wanted to line it out, like a Faraday cage due to his sensitivities. Basically he couldn't go near anything electrical: even cars, buses, computers, tv's and so on. quite how he thought I was going to provide a cottage on a moor, goodness knows.

I let the conversation run on for some time. It lapsed when I pointed out to him, all our conversations were by email.


with regard to the swampies above: the offer of a hotel, is just in line with Homelessness legislation. If they are deemed to have a vulnerability- by nature of old age, medication use, mental health and so on, temp accomm will get offered whilst their case/a decision is made whether to accept a duty to give them priority for rehousing. TBH they'd be a nightmare to deal with and all their animals: not helped by the fact they don't want anything- usually and obviously people want a home.

HTP99

22,443 posts

139 months

Monday 18th December 2017
quotequote all
CanAm said:
Russian Troll Bot said:
How did she manage to record albums and videos without using modern materials?
IIRC the ailment only manifested itself after their run of hit. biggrin
Ahhh when she became unknown, irrelevant and forgotten about!

Equus

16,770 posts

100 months

Monday 18th December 2017
quotequote all
HTP99 said:
CanAm said:
Russian Troll Bot said:
How did she manage to record albums and videos without using modern materials?
IIRC the ailment only manifested itself after their run of hit. biggrin
Ahhh when she became unknown, irrelevant and forgotten about!
It's possible it was some sort of anorexic disorder, rather than allergy-based, but something did kill her, to be fair. She died at an early age (early 50's, I think), in a nursing home.

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Monday 18th December 2017
quotequote all
Equus said:
It's possible it was some sort of anorexic disorder, rather than allergy-based, but something did kill her, to be fair. She died at an early age (early 50's, I think), in a nursing home.
This makes for an interesting summary of the case.
https://sjhstrangetales.wordpress.com/2014/08/26/n...

Gareth79

7,628 posts

245 months

Monday 18th December 2017
quotequote all
Equus said:
What is exceptional (if the story is to be believed), is that they are living genuinely sustainably, with a sustainable rural business.

The rules fundamentally support this (even more so in Wales, where there is an explicit framework for the approval of such dwellings). Had they gone through the correct legal process, and presented their case in the correct way,there's every chance that it should have been approved.
I guess it might be "sustainable" in their current circumstances - living in a building made of mud, presumably no power and living off a wood fire. If you added on the costs of a proper house and perhaps a office/workshop made to current building regulations, council tax/business rates, electric/water/sewerage, income tax, liability insurance etc. would it still be sustaiable?