me new bigger pond

[difflock]

2 hours ago, spandit said:

I didn't ask for planning permission beforehand so had to apply for retrospective permission. I've now got it (after a lot of reports and hassle), but they imposed a load of conditions on it, including getting a professional ecologist to do a report (which was a few hundred quid). I am now trying to vary/cancel the condition but will have to pay another £234 for the privilege - feels like extortion to me but the fee structure is clearly set out on the planning portal.

 

One issue I had is that they wanted detailed plans before and after - I tried explaining that because it was a retrospective application, I didn't have plans before and the pond was designed as we went along, in line with the terrain, so didn't have an accurate plan either. I've had to construct a 3D model of the pond, with contours. Most recently I've sent them an 130 page report showing details of every tree I've planted around it (with coordinates to the nearest cm :o). I've had no objections to the pond (only one neighbour can see it) and even the council member who visited said it didn't look out of place. The council drainage engineer who visited said the bund was well constructed but planning applications generally deal with buildings, not ponds, so the framework they use doesn't really fit. For example, I was asked if there was access for the fire department (in case it catches fire?) and was asked how many parking spaces it would generate...

 

I don't know how remote the land you are looking to buy is - if nobody can see it, then nobody can complain, although there's always Google Earth to snitch on you...

Good Lord, tis indeed true that common sense is rather uncommon, and by that I mean that surely, based on your overhead image, common sense could have told the Council Inspector all he needed to know, like the height of the bund and its proportions/likely stability, and more pertinently is there anybody or anything downstream that could be damaged as a result of the bund failure and what was the max volume of likely bund failure discharge over what likely timespan.

Because my cursory inspection from your image cannot establish any likely catastrophic outcomes

[spandit]

On 20/09/2019 at 11:33, difflock said:

Good Lord, tis indeed true that common sense is rather uncommon, and by that I mean that surely, based on your overhead image, common sense could have told the Council Inspector all he needed to know, like the height of the bund and its proportions/likely stability, and more pertinently is there anybody or anything downstream that could be damaged as a result of the bund failure and what was the max volume of likely bund failure discharge over what likely timespan.

Because my cursory inspection from your image cannot establish any likely catastrophic outcomes

They wanted cross sections of how the bund was constructed. A catastrophic failure in the thickest part would flood the house and possibly a couple of the neighbours. It has shown no signs of slumping/eroding and is massively thick at the base (the bottom of the pond being underground anyway). Anyway, they're satisfied with the construction, but the conditions they applied were totally unfair and, in my view, impossible to discharge, so I'm having to pay again to try and vary them. Still threatening with making me fill it in - not sure where all the wildlife or water is going to go...

 

It's stunning in the sunshine as you can see down about 6 feet now it's cleared. Level has dropped over the past couple of weeks due to no rainfall, by about 6 inches. Last year it was down 12 feet!

 

 

[monkeybusiness]

Planning permission for a pond - what a ridiculous country we live in!!! 

[Big J]

17 minutes ago, monkeybusiness said:

Planning permission for a pond - what a ridiculous country we live in!!! 

What bloody chance do I have for a house if you need PP for a fecking pond?! 

 

You can't just plant woodland either. Over 2 hectares and you need an environmental impact study.

[spandit]

21 minutes ago, monkeybusiness said:

Planning permission for a pond - what a ridiculous country we live in!!! 

It was the unauthorised engineering works they complained about. The fact they were part of a pond was incidental. That said, it has dragged on and on and is still costing me money

[Matthew Storrs]

Started another pond today. Back next week to dig out a bit more and smooth it out- then wait for the rain!

pic 3 was the before photo- just a little trial hole to see if it held water.

[Mark Bolam]

Your pond is looking great Marcus.

Sorry to hear your woes Spandit, you should get some kind of award, not a load of ballache! The fire brigade access thing gave me a good laugh though. It could be very useful for them to pump from, I suppose.

Good work Matthew.

Some really nice projects.

We dammed a tiny dyke when I was a nipper and made a pool big enough to canoe in.

That was before planning was invented, mind.

I love ponds.

[AHPP]

I didn't ask for planning permission beforehand so had to apply for retrospective permission. I've now got it (after a lot of reports and hassle), but they imposed a load of conditions on it, including getting a professional ecologist to do a report (which was a few hundred quid). I am now trying to vary/cancel the condition but will have to pay another £234 for the privilege - feels like extortion to me but the fee structure is clearly set out on the planning portal.

The reason it feels like extortion is that it is extortion.
Write to the head planning man at your local mafia. Tell him that you’ll soon be comprehensively servicing his wife and charging him £234 for doing so but that the fee structure is clearly set out on your website.

[Matthew Storrs]

Went back to finish the pond I started last week, not a spring in sight but the rain water alone has filled it to 60% in 5 days. Whether it holds it in summer is another thing...

[spandit]

Mine filled up in a few months but then went right down again (and it's about 15 foot deep!), being almost completely dry the following Summer. I predicted that with all the fissures that had opened in the clay, there would be a massive amount of sediment washed in once the rains started again. It was full to overflowing by last December and despite dropping by a maximum of 6 inches this Summer, it's remained full so has obviously self sealed.

 

May take a few years but it there's clay in the soil, I reckon it will stay full