kevinjohnsonmbe

An interesting read. Not sure ‘objectivity’ is a prime driver - hell, it’s pretty obvious it isn’t 😂 Haters gonna hate to use modern vernacular. The hate severely detracts from any constructive criticism that might exist and made it very difficult to read (take seriously.) At least in the context of this discussion it is the comparison between projects like Poundbury and ‘standard’ development sites which we are discussing in response to J’s stance that all UK housing / development is shite. Whilst HRH talks a good game on sustainability, environment, society, history etc etc, what about the 🐘 nobody wants to talk about.... What actually needs to be addressed is why do we need ever more houses rather than making better use of what we have and avoiding the constant demand for more. The Western world seems obsessed with a perpetual ‘growth’ model which - of itself - is a fundamentally flawed concept. Doesn’t matter how ‘environmentally friendly’ a development claims to be - it cannot be as ‘environmentally friendly’ as NOT doing it in the first place....

I wasn’t aware of this one:

Poundbury - Poundbury - Wikipedia EN.M.WIKIPEDIA.ORG

Farmer sentenced after walker killed by cattle | HSE Media Centre PRESS.HSE.GOV.UK Simple, easily avoided, unnecessarily careless?

Very good ideas in theory but rather odd in practice. Have you been there? I have; it was all quite disconcerting. Not bad, just disconcerting. The blurred lines between pedestrian spaces and traffic spaces, between commercial and domestic areas, between municipal and private spaces. Maybe it's still just too new, needs time to weather in. Yeah, been there, ages ago. Really liked it - as a casual visitor. Interesting that you find the shared space disconcerting. That was one factor that I was exceptionally drawn to - people taking responsibility for the consequences of their actions, not being channelled into predetermined lanes just because that is how it is marked up. No markings equals no presumed ‘rights’ of way - everyone just finds their own path....

I like a lot of what Poundbury stands for, some concepts / covenants are a bit strange but overall, I likey.

Yome coming at it wrong way round yoof. What is shite, illogical and indefensible is that a ‘system’ has been allowed to establish where someone is required to pay out to do a pointless qual to defend an employer for liability for individual carelessness, clumsiness and/or stupidity. Is there anyone (employer or employee) that doesn’t hold CSCS in utter contempt?

Eeeeeeek! ”...the best of modern architecture....” Maybe - if you’re happy to live in a house inspired by an airport departure lounge. There are great historic skills and knowledge inextricably linked to social and historical influences which run through a large portion of the established UK housing market. Houses built in a certain place for a certain purpose - not necessarily architect designed, but built by skilled and knowledgeable master tradesmen that had a living connection with the location, prevailing climate and social requirement. Yes - late ‘development’ houses are shite of design and construction but it would be shortsighted to focus only on that aspect and apply it across the entire subject.

It seems to me there are many strong lobby voices - retail, construction, transport, farming.... The only one conspicuous by its absence - and surprising since it is undeniably the largest - consumers! People are too relaxed about accepting the patently unacceptable....

You can have a planning condition imposed to specify hours of operation on site if it’s a development - doesn’t apply to smaller scale, random one off scenarios like felling a single / group of trees of hedge cutting etc.

That’s a good point.

I’m not sure you’ll find ‘definitive’ answers. More, likely what is reasonable. Not particularly unreasonable to do hedge cutting on a weekend - it happens throughout suburbia all summer long. Only time I’ve ever had an ‘intervention’ was a site clearance which we did on a weekend to suit a couple of lads child care arrangements. Neighbours were looking for any excuse to oppose the development so called noise abatement. I think it ended up being 08:00-17:00 Mon-Fri 08:00-13:00 Sat and none on a Sunday / Bank Holiday. Developer complied since he didn’t want to upset planning but it cost him because he still had to pay for work that couldn’t be completed within contract days. Extract from “Noise” page of my LA attached - I think you’d be rare to have a complaint - unless you were doing same tree / hedge every weekend (but that’s unlikely.) Sorry, no direct answer to the question. I’d just say to anyone that complains - you show me the reference. If you can’t find they won’t be able to either....

Not just a “thing” in Scotland apparently. Watched a news article last night which described a recent “memo” from US Dept of Homeland security where upon - it was reported that - guidance existed that criticism of federal government could be grounds for classification as domestic terrorism. It was also stated that the memo is “time sensitive” and might expire in June. Point being, would that be an indicator of a specific activity?? A Trump activity perhaps? A truckers protest expansion from Canada? All quite sinister if “as reported” There will be no criticism of the Dear Leader....

Check yr weblink Tom - didn’t work when I looked. Sounds like a great opportunity for someone. I’d have been on that in my yoof 😂

Then let them see 2 major o&g companies file combined North of £20billion profit whilst doubling voters domestic bills - that’s only ever gonna end 1 way.

It’s coming......

What, why no 🤮 emoji.....

I toyed with going commercial for the tariff - espesh when the domestic tariff was so delayed after the PV and commercial RHI tariffs were self evidently poorly considered, over generous and open to such flagrant abuse (NI and “we’ll fit your panels for the FiT” as case in point.) I toyed with running an underground pipe to an outbuilding with a radiator to keep the frost (rare in Kernow) off the dogs, call it a business unit and claim business small unit rate relief. Too much faff at a busy time so I waited for domestic tariff. Disappointed that it was ultimately down rated from system lifespan to 7 years and the index linked element was removed - but I can’t really complain about the commercial tariff being over generous and then complain that domestic was reduced and delayed after lessons learned. It’s still paid back £27k on the 7 years which WAY outstrips install costs and with only a ton of pellets bought per year (£200-250ish) it’s been a nice touch.

Big fracking feature on Newsnight.... Nudging or journalism? People ARE talking about options and fracking is one. I don’t like it but I believe it is going to become a mainstream option.

No, no, not at all! I was encouraging - it is the diversity and challenge to accepted norms which add the most interest. I struggle to stay focussed on some of the more serious issues - life’s too short. Just having fun.

What do they do then, float? Isn't that swimming anyway?? What do they do when they are under water then, that's not floating...?

Holy shityapants Batman! @Khriss with a K, seen it?

All understood - we’re similar, solar PV, solar thermal and biomass (pellets) wind turbine wasn’t an option since we’re not in clean wind. I must sit down and do the numbers at some point.

I had a cheese and marmite pasty today - won’t be doing that again....

According to the NNSS - some are. We could discuss invasive v non native but I’m not convinced it’d pay dividends. Non-native Species Information - GB non-native species secretariat WWW.NONNATIVESPECIES.ORG Who in the name of all that is Holy has the time / money to worry about this sort of thing? Given the magnitude of increases in understory ivy frequency and its possible impacts, scientists, policy makers, and resource managers must be mindful of the patterns, processes, and implications of potential “lianification” of temperate forests. I’m standing by @Stubby ‘s approach. If it walks like a duck, if it quacks like a duck, if it swims like a duck...... It’s probably a duck (substitute ivy for duck and teach for the silky in many circumstances) We’re simple folk here JC. Often times someone with high falutin scientific knowledge happens by but.... ....A bit like the Middle Ages (when witches were (possibly) just poor misunderstood souls persecuted for their irregular knowledge and practices) empirical scientific data and demonstrable evidence based, peer reviewed facts are rarely welcome here. It upsets the natives 🧑🏻‍🌾🔥 {if you can fight through the early perception of prickliness and stay the course - stay long enough for folks to get used to having you around maybe, then the real insults will start - stick around pal, it’s a blast 😂👍🏻 Just don’t show fear, treat it like a wild dog - maintain eye contact, hold your ground, if you have to back away, and only if you really have to, back away slowly, confidently and, ideally, with a whiff of Gallic indifference as if you have somewhere better to be anyway...)