Mr & Mrs Red's Day of Reckoning has arrived......

[taximan007]

I have just read through this thread with tears in my eyes.

I have never met Tom or his family, but I have chatted to him a few times whilst playing online (albeit only shortly as i am always knocked out way before him).

Tom has always come across as a genuine. courteous guy, with time for EVERYONE, I dont remember seeing him have a bad word for anybody, just encouragement for their play and answering their questions and thanking them for their good wishes in a tournament without hesitation.

Since reading his posts on Blonde (especially his tales of life) I feel I have got to know hom as a "friend" and although 3 years temporary stay is not the result you wanted Tom, it is better than nothing, i'm assuming.

I wish you and your family all the best for the future.

To one of the nicest people I have NEVER MET

From

Taximan

[RED-DOG]

If I bought myself a nice field in the green belt maybe in the lake district and built myself a nice cottage without planning permission would this be good ? 

interesting take on the situation

Thanks guys!

You wouldn't be allowed to stay without planning permission, neither am I.

But, if you want to invest all of your savings and over 10 years of your life in a retrospective planning application, with absolutely no guarantee of success, you are of course welcome to try.

Your chances will be better if you only want to live in a caravan instead of a nice cottage, and they will be further enhanced if you can prove that you have lived in a caravan all of your life, as did your ancestors for the previous 600 years.

You will then have to prove that you have a cultural aversion to living in bricks and mortar, that your traditional stopping places are no longer viable, and that you have explored every other possible avenue to find somewhere suitable to site your caravans.

After that, all you have to do is convince a suspicious and prejudiced community that you won't steal their children or lower their property values. Then, if you can get to know everyone in your neighborhood, and change their perception of you at a time when the media is running a smear campaign against you, well, with a lot of luck and the support of genuinely good people, you will have, (according to the most recent statistics) a 97% chance of failure.



Whatever happens, I will never be allowed to build anything on this land, nor would I want to.

[RED-DOG]

Well, we were given a 3 year temporary permission.

Before the hearing, this was the outcome I was dreading the most. The thought of another 3 years of worry and uncertainty filled me with dread, but then an amazing thing happened. Local people from my village stood up and spoke in my defence, and the planning officer in charge of my case said that my place was a model of how a small private Gypsy site should be run. Councillors on the planning committie, be they for or against, debated their decision in a fair and reasonable manner. It made Mrs Red and I very emotional.

This is the first time we have ever had a fair crack of the whip, I don't know what will happen in 3 years time, but some of my faith has been restored, I can't be disappointed.

[bhoywonder]

my thoughts are with you and your family red


I had no idea you were going through this


I cant understand why when you own your own land,they are taking this stance....I'm really not getting it at all?

Is it because of the floodplains? supposedly?


Why dont they go along to that anchor michael wotshisface ( the chav ),that won the lotto,who moved to a lovely, leafy town then proceeded to turn his backyard into a demolition derby...


Why cant they leave the good people alone...sometimes..no...a lot of the times this country's antiquated laws do my nut right in

[Graham C]

Did they give an indication on what may happen in 3 years or if the 3 years is like a review period or something like that? 

Fantastic with the village turning up and supporting you, if the council needed convincing, it couldn't be better than from the locals themselves.

Hope it's a bit of relief for you.

[Queen of Hearts]

 ...........  then an amazing thing happened. Local people from my village stood up and spoke in my defence, and the planning officer in charge of my case said that my place was a model of how a small private Gypsy site should be run. Councillors on the planning committie, be they for or against, debated their decision in a fair and reasonable manner. It made Mrs Red and I very emotional.

This is the first time we have ever had a fair crack of the whip, I don't know what will happen in 3 years time, but some of my faith has been restored, I can't be disappointed.

No, you can't be disappointed ... no one knows what will happen in the next minute ... stay with the positive ... with the wonderful people around you and with the positive strength within you ..... and you will succeed ...

Stay strong, you are beautiful people ..... 'to thine own self be true'.

[thediceman]

Tom owns the Land upon which he lives, lock stock & barrel.

The problem is with the Planners.

There are NO permanent buildings or structures in Tom's field, & never will be  - just 2 Caravans, one in the centre, one by a hedgerow, both smart & modern, & two converted beautiful wooden railway wagons which are used as garden sheds.

I recall watching "homes under the hammer" where one guy purchased land and they discussed his future plans and the issues re: the difficulty about getting planning permission for a building development. The new land owner then talked about using the land occasionally and visiting in a caravan and that as it wasn't a permanent fixture that planning permission was not an issue. This may be why the local authority have said that they can no longer find grounds to object to the planning application. Is planning permission even necessary???. The only difference I can see is that Tom's is a permanent sighting whereas as above theirs isn't. Not sure if this changes the rules or not but suspect not hence the planning authorities withdrawal.

The requested involvement of the environment agency gives the impression that they are concerned on other matters, such as prejudice. Local and council objections are likely based on the perception of what may happen in the future as they worry that the site could become a large scale travellers sight. Can the environment agency really stop someone from sighting a carvan (or two) on there own land due to it being on a potential floodplain. It's not stopped them from council and property developers building on known floodplans.

The delay tactics have a nasty racist undertone to me and a way of stopping a "what if" scenario that they fear their lovely community potentially being overrun by travellers. This is suggested by the comment "the planning officer in charge of my case said that my place was a model of how a small private Gypsy site should be run". A somewhat back handed compliment which suggests this is what they are focusing on. It's fine small but what if, etc, etc.

The fact you have been part of that community for so long and you have the support of many of the local community to me will, in the longterm see you succeed.

Shame that the bureaucrats employ such delay tactics because it's Tom and his family who are the only ones to suffer from such a tactic. However I would regard this as an opportunity to strengthen your case as being established member of the community and having local support.
 

[Dingdell]

If I bought myself a nice field in the green belt maybe in the lake district and built myself a nice cottage without planning permission would this be good ? 

interesting take on the situation

After that, all you have to do is convince a suspicious and prejudiced community that you won't steal their children or lower their property values.

Shame - my neighbour has some children that i would like to see disappear. If you could find you way to stopping in my garden for a few days.......

[julian]

good luck tom,
hopefully a case of 'a glass half full'

[Redbull]

Glad to hear you were supported by the village Tom. Hopefully in 3 years they will see sense.

[ifm]

If I bought myself a nice field in the green belt maybe in the lake district and built myself a nice cottage without planning permission would this be good ? 

interesting take on the situation

Thanks guys!

guys?

It seems you interpreted that as my supporting the question, i don't.

[tikay]

I'm absolutely delighted for Tom & Mrs Red, as realistically, this was the best they could hope for, even though, initially, they dreaded this result.

I think he's almost home & hosed now. In 2010, when it comes up again, they'll have the option of evicting someone who has co-existed peacefully & happily with the village for over 10 years. A tough one upon which to rule "Evict".

[KeithyB]

Yes it seems like a good result as in three years your hand can only be even stronger.

Heartwarming too to hear of your support from some clearly fair minded locals. Good for them!

Really pleased for you Red, and Mrs Red too of course!.   

[sofa----king]

i think you should be over the moon with this tom,it could have allways gone the other way,keep your chin up and think positive.
i hate the saying "small acorns + stuff"but it is true
good luck to you and all your familly,james,mel,niall x