A garage is okay but you can’t get your cars into it
Friday 12th August 2011, 2:29PM BST.

Richard de Garis and Diane Gaudion have appealed to a tribunal so they can break through this wall and create a driveway. (Picture by Tom Tardif, 1169983)
PLANNERS have agreed in principle to a couple converting a barn into a garage, but objected to them breaking through a wall and creating a driveway, a planning tribunal heard yesterday.
Richard de Garis, 41, and Diane Gaudion, 36, bought their St Sampson’s home at Les Martins two years ago and have been doing up the 19th century farmhouse.
But an application last year to open a gap in the front wall to allow them vehicular access was refused.
Planning officer Christine Miles argued that while neighbouring homes had driveways, they were to the side of the house and not at the front.
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Could they not just make the doors look like a wall. After all the planning department are obsessed with looks aren’t they?
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Lack of common sense at enviroment again I see.
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For once I agree with the planners that these homeowners should not be permitted to knock down the wall at the front of the house. Anyone using this road as I frequently do will know this particular dwelling is very near to where the road narrows considerably and yet a large number of vehicles speed through it daily. Another gateway at this point would be madness – not to mention completely spoiling the frontage of the lovely old farmhouse.
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pbfalla
Where are you?
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Well it proves one thing to me; something that has troubled me for awhile.
But relief at last.
The mad hatter still has parties.
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Oh dear Burdock.
Are you really concerned about the traffic, or is it your selfish way to deny these people a right to open the wall.
If the job is done correctly, and in good taste, then what’s the problem?
That is apart from the methods of this so called committee.
The sooner the people get rid of them the better, perhaps we’ll get people with a little more camaraderie in their system.’
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Islander
I object to your suggestion that I am not concerned about the traffic. I thought I had explained in detail the road layout and therefore my objection at this particular point. As regards it being these people’s ‘right’ they purchased the property with no access onto the road and presumably paid a lower price as a consequence – they took a gamble and maybe on this occasion it will not pay off. ‘you win some, you loose some.
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Well maybe so Burdock;
However the way you phrased your letter, (no1) it seemed as if you might be indignant if you were ever held up as they used their Garage,
That to me sounded like mischief thoughts.
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There’s an encouraging letter in today’s Press Open Lines signed by Deputy ‘Pete’ Sirett in which he says that in 2012 the election will bring about a new Environment Department headed by a new Minister
So it looks like he will be standing down ( at least from this department) but it is not clear if the rest of his committee will also be jumping before they are pushed
Pete also mentions the difficulties caused by all the policies and laws that Environment have to work under
Doh! That is it in a nutshell Pete.You recognize that the law is an ass but you and your committee have sat on your ass for a whole term (or is it longer – it certainly seems longer)without breaking your neck to CHANGE those out of date laws and policies
The upshot of it all is that he has instructed his staff to boycott the Press but not the rest of the media .. so it looks like it is up to the citizens to inform the press of the next batch of loony-tune decisions from this worst Environment Department EVER
Another letter writer on the same page is saddened by the sight of workmen pulling down that fine granite wall at the top of Les Sages on Environment’s orders
The Press is well worth its nine bob for that page alone today
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Well at least Pete keeps to his word
Environment has refused to speak to the Press about the Pollet shutters refusal
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