Refusal

It's official. We had advance warning 10 days ago that the Planning Dept were going to refuse our planning application to extend the cottage. Now the official refusal has been issued. Their 'rationale' is that the massing is too great and out of character with the original house. No mention is made of the huge 1990s house next door that dwarfs Hillside, or the array of other huge houses and garages (most of dubious architectural merit) that stretch down the road from us. Do I sound bitter?

However, there is a way forward. We've managed to speak to the Planning Officer and undertand (even if we don't agree) with his concern about the size of the side extension. The other amendments we want to make don't seem to be an issue. So we are now working with our Architect to find a way to get the bedroom extension we want whilst fitting in with the size limitations that the Planners will accept.

You'd be right to question why we want to extend a house if we're doing an eco-renovation, as after all small efficient houses have the smallest carbon footprint. But this place isn't efficient as it stands. And our lifestyle is such that we'd like more space - okay, so we don't need more but isn't life full of such contradictions?