Before 1947, the planning system didn’t exist, and people were free to build houses wherever they wanted. But for the past 73 years, under the control of the planning straitjacket, people have been eyeing up their neighbourhoods for opportunities to obtain permission to build new houses. Despite this long-term forensic examination of potential sites, new ways are still being found to create building plots. Part of the reason is that the government keeps moving the planning goalposts, so applications that wouldn’t have been passed a couple of years ago might now be fine. In other words, when it comes to getting permission, you should never say never.
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Work with the land