'Ouses, Greenbelt and stuff

So the Developer that knocked down the Crooked House pub have been ordered to rebuild it. Now, I'm all for Developer's being punished for this sort of thing but I'm really struggling to see the benefit to anyone of rebuilding something that was really only known because the original building was so poorly constructed. It's interest was in the way it ended up like that over time and was still standing. Surely it would have been better to just fine the Developer and force them to build a couple of social houses on the plot the demolition created so they didn't benefit from it?

I presume that is because the rule is to reinstate the original building and anything other than that is difficult to enforce?

I have worked on buildings with inclined brickwork but your average local builder is probably going to struggle with a wall at 15 degrees.

I found the whole ‘outpouring of grief’ for a building that apparently wasn’t getting much use and was famous for basically being in shit condition a bit odd.

There’s far too much developable land in existing urban areas occupied by buildings that should be pulled down but they are protected simply because they’re old. I’m all for protecting exemplar buildings but preserving them simply because they were built a few centuries ago seems a bit silly. I wonder if people in the 24th century will protect the 1970s Barratt estate I live on.

Flip side is that if Barratt houses of the 70s were built like those in the 80s then they won't be standing long enough. 😉

There'll be good and bad from all eras I suspect. A lot of it will come down to the money spent and quality of materials at the time. Anything still standing after hundreds of years is doing a good job either by design or luck I would say, I don't think much is designed with an expectation it will survive over a century (even major infrastructure like motorway bridges are only designed for 120 years). I think modern houses get undue stick but they're being compared to the relatively few older buildings that have remained over the years and that are quite often like Trigger's broom in reality.

I know it well one of theose pubs old people say something like 'the drink driving laws killed it off'. That roundabout is a nightmare, I certainly wouldn't be stopping there for a quick lunch. Really miss the diner in the bus that was in the layby up the road though.

Gove got his arse kicked on appeal in the M&S Oxford Street scheme then. The High Court said "not only misunderstood but also inadmissibly rewrote the provisions of the NPPF to create a strong presumption in favour of the reuse of buildings where no such presumption exists." That's pretty damning!

You don’t think the area could be used better by demolishing and re-building?

Bristol City Council have had their decision making powers for 'minor' applications taken off them and given to the Planning Inspectorate due to their poor record in deciding applications. Not quite sure where I stand on this, in part delays are because of staff cuts which is due to funding from Government being cut but it is also about time something was done as the system takes the piss at times.

This is a mad story:

“He says their monthly service charge went from an initial £94 a month to £515 by April 2023 - and, two weeks ago, he was informed that it would rise again, to £646 a month.”

Looking at it in detail it seems the increase is mainly due to the initial charge being estimated and insurance going through the roof.

As I posted before, this is having an impact on the retired.

They can all easily afford it.