Praise be!
Some 4 years since we snapped up what seemed to be the only affordable rural property in the Lake District National Park, we have finally obtained planning permission for what has become known as the "Love Shack" - to replace the mouldy-log-cabin-the-size-of-a-static-caravan, with possibly the LDNP's first bit of domestic contemporary architecture since the portcullis crashed down some time in the 1970's. I'll spare you the details of this torturous and expensive planning process here, suffice to pass on these words of wisdom to anyone thinking of following our lead:
- Don't use a consultant - the LDNPA moves in too 'mysterious' a way for anyone to be much good at dodging their bureaucracy
- Don't expect neighbours and parish councils to hold to my mum's adage 'If you've got nothing nice to say, say nothing" - even if you go out of your way to be inclusive, nimbyism thrives in the LDNP
- Don't give up - go to Appeal if neccessary and make it clear to the planners you intend to see your plans through at any cost
So, many thanks to our friends and families and colleagues who have survived our endless moaning during the process, and here's to the next few months of creating a tiny bit of the future in the Lake District!
1 comment:
Hi Karen G.
I have to concur with the thoughts you have on what you met getting your plans through, things can be too ‘twee’. The LDNP shouldn’t be a museum – or even a tourist show – it would be great to see more Cumbrian based initiatives in the economy that don’t centre on tourism – the stone clad walls might be ‘only’ visual, but perhaps behind that fear of changing the visual beyond a certain line in the sand, is a lack of initiative in other areas – it can help to get a new perspective on things.
And on another subject...We thought you might like to have a link on Cumbric.net to your site. Cumbric.net is a new discussion board for communities and groups in Cumbria and beyond.
If you do, please let us know whether you’d like us to put up a link to your site, or whether you’d like to post one yourself (posting one yourself will of course give you the opportunity to introduce your site in whichever way you choose) – you can do so in the links section, here: http://cumbric.net/index.php?board=59.0
Or you can email us at cumbricnet@gmail.com
We would also welcome a link to Cumbric.net from your site. (Though either way, you are still welcome to post a link to your site on Cumbric.net)
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You may also set up a forum for your own town, village, or community group. The service will always remain free. There's a little more info on that here: http://cumbric.net/index.php?topic=22.0
We take our name ‘Cumbric’ from that of the language spoken in these parts before the fine language of English took over. You may or may not know, that whilst Cumbric is most closely associated with Cumbria, it were spoken all owert’ spot – reet acrosst’ north of England and southern Scotland and allsorts. And Cumbric.net welcomes peoples not only from Cumbria, but from further afield too.
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