Well yet another twist to the saga has occurred. Without any form of Planning Permission or Listed Building Consent, a local firm of contract builders has been given permission from CCBC, to carry out exploratory bore hole work for the foundations of the proposed development, on behalf of the developers. To gain access for their equipment into the site from North Parade, they removed a double section of the listed cast iron fence (with an angle grinder). Before they started I did tell them it was Listed and it shouldn't be removed until Planning Permission was in place. All I got was a torrent of abuse from the man with he grinder.
Now that I'm older wiser and a lot less fiery than my younger days, I decided to inform the Planning Enforcement Officer of the current infringement and let him deal with it. I knew it was an infringement because Mr Williams of the Pier had had a run in with them last year and was told in no uncertain terms, that any damage to the fence would result in a prosecution. The Officer did come out and have a look at what damage had been done to the removed section of the fence but did not prevent the ongoing entrance work from continuing.
The Planning Enforcement Officer did call me later that afternoon to explain that it was only exploration work that was being carried out and that the railings would be reinstalled when the work was over, so in his opinion planning permission was not required for that. He did get rather upset with me when I asked him why he had duplicitous standards with regards to the removal of the fence without planning approval and why was it now permissible for the Contractors to destroy the fence with impunity. He demand to know how I had found out about the threatened enforcement action last year as he was the enforcement officer involved and there had been nothing in writing. He never imagined for a moment that neighbours do actually talk to one another.
Well just another nail in CCBC's coffin, I'm sure Mr Geffrey Jones QC will add it to his long list of illegal actions that will come out when the case is brought before High Court, then we will get some justice.