I am a great believer in the need for a planning system in this country but I can't help but be mighty impressed by the cunning, ingenuity and determination of Robert Fidler. For the last four years he has hidden the house he (technically illegally) built behind hay bales and tarpaulin. Now the high court has ruled that because he lied to the council planning authority, he must knock it down.
Whilst it's probably the right legal decision and the building is really not to my taste, its a real shame that there cannot be more scope in the planning system for this kind of spontaneity, entrepreneurship and well...fun. We do need more homes and developers are not very good at delivering them at any decent rate, of a decent size and with any real panache or individuality. Self-build, whilst only ever a small part of the market, can play an important role, not necessarily in meeting targets but creating less homogenised neighbourhoods. And it should not just be for the (generally) well-endowed middle classes of Grand Designs.
My favourite ever Grand Designs was a couple of obviously modest means who converted a disused water pumping station (of similar) into their home, by means of sheer hard work and learning on the job. Can't think of something more appropriate thing for government to encourage its citizens to do, especially if it thought creatively about how to engage (especially youth) unemployed (not just in bricklaying but some more specialist trades, including 'low carbon/sustainable' jobs but also traditional artisan development trades) and to give new life to the small building company (housing is shockingly dominated by a few players).
