Not Too Big For a Told Off

We had some good news on Friday; our architects had arranged a meeting with the Head of Planning at the Council to discuss a certain planning officer's decisions with regard to the choice and use of materials on quite a few of their projects. Our house is one of these projects that has this particularly troublesome officer overseeing the approval of materials. As our architect put it "the Head of the Planning Department is the only person who can tell off this officer". Woman after my own heart!

As we mentioned here this officer had refused the use of man made slates and aluminium guttering. We were frustrated at this decision, not only because of the cost issue, but that there didn't seem any rationale for it as aesthetically it matches the surrounding properties and the dratted house at the front which, it seems, the world revolves around. Our architects were equally frustrated. When they discussed this with the Head of Planning, he agreed that there was no reason at all why man made slates and aluminium guttering weren't appropriate materials to use.

We now wait and see what happens next as this particular officer won't want to lose face in the planning department.