Dawlish Discussion

Planners have given the go ahead to convert a barn at a farm in Dawlish with a long and complicated planning history into a home.

Although part of the barn is used as a home, there is a current Enforcement Notice requiring the cessation of its residential use.

The application is complicated further by the fact that the land owner, Leo Michaels, had recently admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent after shooting someone with a crossbow and had been jailed for six years

Read more...http://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/dawlish-farm-long-complicated-planning-674917

This decision makes me feel uncomfortable.

I'm not sure what to make it of this...I mean this guy shoots someone with a crossbow, and shoots the wrong person...when he's out will he go after the right one? Not nice to think about. I hope that having one conversion on the land does now open up the permission for more to be built. Then we live in the land and time where any green space is worthy of a house...sadly. 

I don't suppose any of the councillors thought about obtaning a mental health report on this person before they granted the go ahead. Like the "TheObserver" has said, "will he go after the right one?"

The precedent was set locally when Richard Weekes was granted permission to build a house in the middle of his supposedly precious farmland. 

This Leo Michaels chap however seems to be a nasty piece of work. I’m not sure though that planning decisions can be based on a persons character. 

It is all a pointless game, we have forgotten how to look after our countryside and will allow a house or two....hundred anywhere.