You need to protest...and fast. They've just stopped a development here which would have meant our house being overshadowed by huge skyscrapers so it can be done, but the protest against it was backed by the local Labour party, which meant it had more clout.

Have already logged a detailed protest on the local govt website and am a member of the local neighbourhood watch that is organising opposition. The local council has rejected the scheme, but another (much larger) scheme was given the go-ahead west of Stevenage by Mr Prescott despite being denied by the County Council.

The local farm had already lost its grazing fields to the same developer 20 years ago. The cows are kept on fields a good two miles from the farmhouse. It's crazy. The farmer is a tennant farmer so has no say in the matter and is losing his livelihood rather than gaining financially. The fields grow grain crops and, in a time of declining numbers of skylarks, the flora and fauna is thriving.

Go for it! I hate the way all the farmland north of here has turned into mega house subdivisions.

Good luck!

Thanks. I still feel like the 'little man' trying to fight big corporate companies who have nothing but profit in their sights. Local opposition is underway but we've already lost one (unrelated) big battle thanks to the National Labour Government interference in local affairs and overturning the County Council's rejection of a HUGE development in a neighbouring town.

Why on earth do people actually want to buy houses built on the flood plain? And how on earth planing permission is given for them...

It's nice to know this isn't the only country with issues like that. Um, the houses on the flood plain might take care of themselves at some point. lol

I will admit to marveling at how much open, green space there was in the UK, considering the size of the island, and concluded it was because building must be confined to the towns so as to preserve the green space. Sad to know that may not always be the case.

Love your icon, BTW. :)