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This is crazy!

(57 Posts)
Luckygirl3 Fri 20-Mar-26 09:36:40

I am a trustee of our local village hall. We want to put a pedestrian path with a rail on one side of the rather steep drive to separate pedestrians from cars and to make it easier for people with disabilities.

It seems we not only need planning permission but also a Biodiversity Net Gain Plan that could cost us £1500 or more as the area of the path is more than 25 square metres!
The path will cover part existing tarmac and part verge.

The BNG plan was intended to cover new developments and applying it to this tiny safety project seems quite bonkers.

I am all for protecting the environment but this is just OTT.

Any ideas as to how we might circumvent this in some way?

Lathyrus3 Tue 24-Mar-26 09:10:06

Well no Graphite, I admit I didn’t watch your video, being only interested in a desultory, curious sort of way in Lucygirls problem.

I’m sorry if my post annoyed you.

Lathyrus3 Tue 24-Mar-26 09:10:25

Luckygirl 😬

Graphite Tue 24-Mar-26 09:29:53

I'm not annoyed. but I do feel frustrated when people take a negative approach to a problem which may not, in the end, be the mountain they envisage. Sight (or is that site?) unseen, others then encourage the negative response which doesn't help in any practical sense.

As I said upthread, the area our own community hall has been much enhanced by BNG projects all paid for (including the BNG reports) by local grants.

It helps that we have very experienced parish councillors, administrators and a fantastic events and fundraising coordinator who have managed all of these projects with the help and guidance of the city councillor who represents our ward.

Lathyrus3 Tue 24-Mar-26 09:43:14

Well, I’m with you there. It came over as if you were launching at me personally for posting about the conversation I had.

I’m only mildly interested in something I hadn’t heard of before, enough to do a little post with coffee but not enough to watch a video.🙂

Graphite Tue 24-Mar-26 09:49:14

Fair enough, and full disclosure ... in my early morning bleariness, I mistook you for OP which may explain why my post came across as it did. Apologies. We are both trying to be helpful and practical.

Allira Tue 24-Mar-26 10:03:56

Even though the verge may look lifeless due to tyre tread there will be life underground.

I think the verge is a verge - ie grass strip and the cars shouldn't be encroaching on it (but might). If a rail is put up to define the boundary between drive and pedestrian path then the verge would have to be tarmacked and the grass lost. I wasn't being facetious when I suggested encouraging dandelions along the edge as they are excellent for encouraging wildlife, although, of course, someone may helpfully do some weeding at a future date.

Which side of the drive will the proposed path be sited, Luckygirl? Who owns the land either side of the drive?