The Big Society - it's good not to talk

Despite requests for some face time with the Council to discuss the pre-application, they've decided to write back to me.  It's always tempting to read too much into individual situations, and the bit of me that admits to taking sneaky peaks at the Daily Mail immediately jumps to the conclusion that this is all symptomatic of public sector cutbacks. It's probably nothing to do with it at all, of course.  But having a conversation about the pre-application is an attempt to save both sides time and money later on by avoiding a formal proposal that gets rejected. 

Also, the letter hasn't come from the planing officer who visited the site a couple of months ago and the responses suggest a lack of awareness of the context (or, put another way, an inability to read ridge heights off a plan in order to recognise that a two-storey building overlooking a bungalow probably doesn't lead to privacy issues).  The main points are these:

• Some slightly barnpot suggestions of where windows should be concentrated which, I think, may lead to greater over-looking issues
• A dislike of garages in front of the principle elevation, but a tentative okay to bring the building line forward a bit
• A suggestion that any drive over 20 metres long (which would apply to any property in the rear) should have a turning area big enough for a delivery vehicle (the words 'piece of string' come to mind) or ambulance, or may even have to be two-way.  Can't really argue against the ambulance bit, but two-way access would be a killer.
• A five-bed detached house needs four parking spaces.  For our OTT pre-application proposal that would be parking for eight cars, plus sufficient area for turning.  For ambulances.  Not going to happen.

The main irritation at the lack of an opportunity to have a chat about it all is that the letter also tells me that what we're proposing is too big.  No surprise; we opened the bidding high deliberately.  But too big by how much?

The letter came a few days ago.  Having read it, I left a voicemail again asking for some face time.  No response to date, so a chasing letter will be on its way shortly.

Maybe its all a public sector conspiracy to keep the Post Office afloat?