It's Not Easy Being Green

Did anyone else watch George Clark's Amazing Spaces on Channel 4?
Lots of very unusual houses to live in. He built a tree house at Kielder water for a charity. Whoever was in it last night would have had a treat. The top part is a triangle and the walls open so you can see the whole sky. It's been awarded dark sky status at Kielder, so no problem with street light spoiling your view. Worth watching that episode.

My husband designed them for the local council. It was a London overspill area, and they went up quickly and easily, and we could do with them again to solve the housing crisis.
Most Scandinavian countries build timberframe houses. I'd like to live in one, too, but never did.

I like the look of it, apart from the mud, but they should have got planning permission. How did they get so far with this 'project' and for so long without being stopped?

Our cottage is timber framed, built in the 1930s as a farmworker's dwelling. It's cool in the summer, toasty warm in the winter and not a sign of damp or mould anywhere.

Durhamjen - I remember timber framed houses being built in the 70s, some came from Scandinavia if I recall correctly, and I remember some being built on the edge of Dartmoor. They were very nice, but we couldn't afford one.

It said they decided against power tools. Not difficult when there's no power on site.
I think they must have bought agricultural land, rather than land to build on, which usually costs much more. Which is another reason not to apply for planning permission.
It's a twenty acre site! Lots of us could join them.

They don't mind the way they live though. Not everyone desires the latest mod cons. It can't be seen from the road so maybe that's why Phoenix hasn't come across it. Twenty acres is more than just a little bit of land, JessM although I agree with your point about undesirable shacks.

I don't think it's any worse than caravans/mobile homes being plonked on bits of land because all sorts of planning rules can be flouted if your home is 'mobile'

I have seen worse in Australia. Not always sunshine and lovely weather, despite what some programmes try to make out. But do we want to go down that road here?
I would say definitely not.
Charley - the lady in the article is 54 - she'll be wanting mod cons before too long surely?
Not that I'm saying we're that old yet.

Xpost again, Rose and Charley.
My husband was an architect and designed timber framed houses in the seventies. But they were always double skinned.

It'll get pulled down, though, Rosequartz.
Looks like a large garden shed, and I would not like to live in my garden shed in winter, even with a woodburning stove.

X post durhamjen, sorry

Could you fit all Gnetters on 1 acre of land if all standing up? With a cuppa/glass of wine and cake in hand?

My garden shed looks sturdierand better built than that shack. They could not expect to get away with it. I personally prefer all mod cons, especially running and flushing water.

59, 698, 189 acres (still not an acre each!).

And yes, they should have applied for planning permission and waited until they got it before starting. Just because it's ecologically friendly doesn't automatically give them the right to build.
I fancy a place down there, has anyone got a few planks of wood etc they are throwing out?

Sorry, missed off three 000s. It's 60,000,000, just less than an acre each.
I do not want mine to be on top of a mountain, though, or across a river that floods.

Yes durhamjen there are many more acres in uk than that by several zeroes. About 3,600,000 in Yorkshire alone

Yes, daft to think they would get away with it but also a bit sorry for them.
Maybe there is a place somewhere for projects like this? Needs a bit more thought about water etc.

I come under Torridge District Council, and live in Beaworthy! (Beaworthy actually covers quite a large area consisting of a fair few villages)

Can't say that I know where this house is though.

I think the acreage of the UK must be much more thn that - that sounds like the size of an Australian farm (mind you, some of them are the size of Wales, as are most comparisons)

Even if they had applied for planning permission they probably wouldn't have got it because from the looks of it this building certainly doesn't comply with building regs. No sanitation, no running water.

They also want to run a business from the property so where were the clients going to stay, how would they get there. More to this than meets the eye

It does look a bit of a fire hazard.
One of the comments was that everyone should have his/her own acre to build what they want on it. However, the acreage of the UK is only just over 60000 and the population is 66 million.

Daft to think they could get away with it. Planning rules exist for very good reasons. I don't feel a bit sorry for them. There would be all kinds of undesirable consequences if people just bought a little bit of land, drilled a well and started building shacks and keeping livestock. Shantytowns around the corner from you? Any takers?