Paying off blackmailers usually works.

If they are the locals the most vocal are usually the ones who have just moved to the area.

I understand planning decisions may be take away from local councils. About time.

"Fred" wrote

If the letters in my local village magasine are anything to go by, quite the contrary - many to the effect of "... I've lived here for many decades and I strongly object to the new developments planned at the moment ..." !!

We get that a lot in our local villages. Especially if the person concerned won't themselves benefit directly from the proposals but many others will. Or even more insane, throws spanners in the works in order to keep a village how they want it (run down, shops boarded up and so on) rather than how it could be.

Martin <

The law we currently have which is meant to be the same for everyone. If you start interpreting it differently for different groups, then whats to stop me buying a caravan and then building a house anywhere I want? Not the law seemingly.

Bizzarely, often the locals who have always lived there and protest against incomers.

SO you really think anyone should be allowed to build anything anywhere? And if the planners say 'no' then people should just ignore them?so if soemone who calls themsleves a 'gypsy' moves next door to you and starts building a large skyscraper, thats OK is it because the law doesnt apply to them? Or if the peopel next door have lived there for a long time they could build a block of flats in their back garden to house the kids?

I don't really understand what you are saying here - is that not exactly what I said? - the price you get (its worth) is what someone is willing to pay for it?

If I put my house on the market for 450k and I have two people who really want it, one offers me 460k and and the other offers me 475k - what is it worth? - I would say 475k

Perhaps you could clarify what you meant as it seemed to agree with my position.

Matt.

Martin let me give you some advice...

:O)

Everybody else knew what the subject was! This is how most people live:

Sleep - 5 hrs Work - 8 hrs Eating - 1 hr Sex - 34 seconds

...which leaves plenty of time to keep up with everyday events such as whether Christine Aguila has lost her knickers or Bush is losing, winning or tying for the White house.

Here is your day:

Sleep - 1 hr Lovemaking - 3 hrs 20 mins Arguing with Wotan - 20 hrs 10 mins

Sleep more like 15 hours, though rarely in one go.

Funny how others saw the OP as completely different from me. It can't be the words used - I can read English pretty well.

Martin <

This thread has been remarkable for people reading the same text but drawing opposite conclusions. When I read "2 points to Richard and Matthew" I immediately thought the exact opposite of what you concluded, and assumed he was agreeing with you wholeheatedly and giving you "2 points".

In retrospect 2 points seems a bit low, perhaps it should have been

Ah, right! See how exact our language can be!