From the very start I thought the application was a 50/50 case and indeed we did fail at the first attempt, when the Local Planning Authority (aka ‘the council’) rejected the application. The case had its definite merits and issues, but no neighbours had objected and on balance the clients and I agreed that the application ought to be given another chance – the application simply ‘felt right’.
So we pulled out all the stops for an appeal. We gathered further evidence to counter the LPA’s reasons for refusal, including going through the LPA’s own adopted policies with a fine tooth-comb. This detailed process unearthed some useful ammunition which we presented using all the skills learned from previous experience as a journalist, photographer, editor, Chartered Institute of Marketing post-grad, PLC communications manager, etc.
The rain started falling exactly as the Appeal Inspector arrived for his visit to view the proposed building plot. He declined a warming coffee and seemed tentative when we offered him a wet ladder to climb up (to see the neighbour’s garden for comparison purposes) despite my assuring him I had just secured and tested it. He survived. I also guided him around some soaked decking in case it was slippery. No slapstick mishaps please! Several minutes after he had left, we saw him outside in the street, still musing the situation. We struggled to interpret his body language – if only we could read his thoughts – perhaps he thought it was a 50/50 case too?
One morning a few weeks later, I excitedly phoned the clients to let them know the happy news of our win – clean forgetting that they were away in America. I have never heard someone more forgiving after being woken up at 5am!
Builders are now being engaged and the clients are looking forward to enjoying their new house.
