Retrospective Planning Application

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Good luck to you. I bet watching the wildlife is fantastic.

Thank you... I am in my element! There is a 'resident' kestrel who has been very busy, though... I'm worried that he has taken the lizards I spotted early on and which I've never seen again since... :( ... I'm currently trying to find out more about the extremely deep well which was dug by the Southend Water Company in 1918... it was originally steam powered until they changed to electricity in 1947... I think they stopped using the water as it has a high sodium/fluoride content... so although it is perfectly drinkable, it is not good for your heart and will turn your teeth brown...so much history!
 
Could the abundance of wildlife help your case? If planners requested demolition of the silo/studio, might that involve digging up rare orchids, interfering with the habitat of newts, etc? Are there any bats roosting in the roof or under the eaves? I have seen environmental reports that seemed to oppose all building development simply because somebody had claimed to have found a few bat droppings.
 
Don't think orchids and newts will be under the base of the silo !
 
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Don't think orchids and newts will be under the base of the silo !
Nobody suggested they would be under the base. But anyone who has ever watched agricultural buildings being dismantled after a wet period (farmers usually have better things to do in dry weather) may have noticed how the surrounding land can get seriously chewed up and deeply rutted by machinery (crane or telescopic loader, and particularly trailers and lorries hauling away the materials). Possibly I have acquired a rather jaundiced view of things, after nearly 50 years professional involvement with farm buildings and engineering.
 
Yes , I have noticed how agricultural land and even grass verges can get chewed up and deeply rutted by machinery (and a lot of muck deposited on the road !)
I am aware, after over 40 years experience in architecture and building, that bats and great crested newts can hold up building work ,bat surveys are quite a common requirement in planning and great crested newts are a protected species that cause a lot of disruption if they are found on site. Bats can't be disturbed at certain times of the year but alternative roosting arrangements can be made at the right time. As for the arrangements for catering for great crested newts, on the last job I worked on where newts were found the pond was a project in itself, but it doesn't stop work proceeding eventually and wouldn't stop the planners taking enforcement action in my opinion.
 
No bats as yet, unfortunately, but I will be putting up bat boxes once I know what's going & what's staying... There is evidence that bats had previously been roosting in the pump house, but someone has blocked the vets with chicken wire... possibly so they could apply for building permission, I guess...
Some councils ignore the presence of great crested newts.. especially when the planning application comes from someone rich enough to pay them off... I know this for a fact. Where I lived before, the neighbour wanted to convert an ancient stable block which I knew to be a place where newts hibernated... I objected, citing the endangered newts and possible bats but the council allowed the application to go ahead anyway, saying it didn't think there would be any disturbance!
 
Any council ignoring the presence of great crested newts in a planning application would be committing an offence and leaving themselves open to prosecution I would think. It would be different if there was not going to be any disturbance to the newts or bats. You can incorporate various things in buildings to provide roosts for bats - e.g. special bricks , roof tiles and bat boxes of course.
 
Please believe me, it happened... and I had put in an identical application the year before for conversion of my own stables, which were just 5m away from my (multi-millionaire) neighbours... which was refused!
 
Wasn't doubting your word, just saying it would be wrong for the council to do that.
Regards
 
It's very wrong... but some people just don't care, especially if there's a big fat bribe...:(
 

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