Durham area? Hope you will complain to your Council

I wonder Biba if there is anything that this bunch of crooks can do that they will actually be held accountable for?

It seems they can steal money from the British tax payer and break the laws of the land with impunity.

Missing commas. Sorry!

I don't think that my MP, tory boy Holden, would be at all helpful.

I wonder if there is some ruling on the payment of retrospective Council tax or if it is at the discretion of the council.

What I am mildly surprised by is the fact that there were two extra houses built on the site without planning permission...

That is disgusting and clearly not an innocent mistake.

I expect it's subject to time limitation which expired years ago and is now null and void.

Yet someone putting a garden shed in the wrong place would be fined, I'm betting.

Jaberwok

I expect it's subject to time limitation which expired years ago and is now null and void.

Certainly the planning permission bit is subject to time limitation.

We have the same MP maiszie, he really has done nothing so far.

This does not surprise me.

Though this is interesting

From the government website:

Start

What are the time limits for taking enforcement action?
In most cases, development becomes immune from enforcement if no action is taken:

within 4 years of substantial completion for a breach of planning control consisting of operational development;
within 4 years for an unauthorised change of use to a single dwellinghouse;
within 10 years for any other breach of planning control (essentially other changes of use).
These time limits are set out in section 171B of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

However, the time-limits set out above do not prevent enforcement action after the relevant dates in certain circumstances. These are:

section 171B(4)(b) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, which provides for the taking of “further” enforcement action in respect of any breach of planning control within 4 years of previous enforcement action (or purported action) in respect of the same breach. This mainly deals with the situation where earlier enforcement action has been taken, within the relevant time-limit, but has later proved to be defective, so that a further notice may be issued or served, as the case may be, even though the normal time-limit for such action has since expired. This is known as the “second bite” provision

where there has been deliberate concealment of a breach of planning control, local planning authorities may apply for a planning enforcement order to allow them to take action after the time limits in section 171B have expired

where a person has deliberately concealed a breach of planning control, the courts have found that in these circumstances, the time limits in section 171B do not engage until the breach has been discovered (see Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and another v Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council and Bonsall / Jackson v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government).

Therefore, in cases of deliberate concealment, a local planning authority may decide to serve an enforcement notice ‘out of time’ or apply for a planning enforcement order. It is for the local planning authority to decide which approach is appropriate in each case.

Paragraph: 004 Reference ID: 17b-004-20180222

End

This story is a classic example of the rotten , corrupt state of power, influence and entitlement in this country.

When I worked for the Council Tax office, the rules were than we couldn't backdate for more than six years.

It's not sw. It's the same or anyone and everyone so long as you keep a low profile and no one rumbles you!

MaizieD and Galaxy, Holden has done more than that useless slip of a girl who preceded him. He's been out visiting rural constituents and is promoting the much-needed new Shotley Bridge Hospital, for a start.

well he has been rumbled- or in fact, in rumbled himself due to his stupid, irresponsible behaviour. Someone is pulling the strings- and the other parties in that constituency should kick hell about it.

Septimia

*MaizieD and Galaxy*, Holden has done more than that useless slip of a girl who preceded him. He's been out visiting rural constituents and is promoting the much-needed new Shotley Bridge Hospital, for a start.

I think that's probably a matter of opinion. I heard very good reports of that 'useless slip of a girl'.

He's certainly not representing me in voting to break international law, to do away with parliamentary scrutiny and to lower our food standards... I doubt if our rural constituents are terribly impressed by the latter..

Jaberwork- some of us do not try to cheat and avoid getting proper permission, following the rules and paying our dues. Sayy it all really- about the mindset. Appalling.

At the end of the day, it does not matter about people like Holden listening, or doing anything. Letters in the Press, to Council, to other local representatives, to all the other parties asking them to tackle this fraudulent injustice- and not let them get away with it.

I was no fan of laura pidcock but find that phrase deeply unpleasant. Her predecessor was one of the best constituency MPs I have ever experienced.

Oh for goodness sake biba, all I was saying is that it's not only the privileged who can get away with avoidance, not that it's an acceptable thing to do! Just that ANYONE can if they want too,!

You live in Switzerland biba and when in the UK you are nowhere near Durham, so why get so worked up about this
Planning/lack of planning permission by a member of Dominic Cummings family?
There either were faults by the family or faults by the Council there, but either way it’s for the two parties to sort out between them.It doesn’t impact on anybody else.

Are we only to hold views about people if we live near them now? Somebody needs to tell the people on the Harry and Meghan threads if so.

Nothing wrong in holding views, and planning permission is there for good reasons, but I would expect only locals would be either complaining to the Council or phoning MP’s about this.In any case, the Council know about it already and up to them to deal with it....either way.

It’s the Dominic Cummings connection isn’t it.....be honest!

I've known people who have gone ahead and gained retrospective planning permission and others who have taken a chance but have had to demolish buildings eg I remember a super pigsty being built in Devon many years ago. It had windows, heating, everything the three little pigs would need.
It had to be demolished.

It often depends on who you know.

The Cummings don't need to get retrospective planning permission, it's out of time.

But the council could charge them a bit of back Council Tax if they had the bottle..