Comment posted Council website not currently accepting planning objections by Robert Wakeham.
Haven’t seen your name before, ‘awayyago’, but – taken with your comments – it seems fairly intolerant. Why on earth shouldn’t someone criticise proposed development if they think it’ll effect the setting of a fine existing house? I happen to think that the damage might not be too bad, but I’m not about to start slanging him; I’ve no idea what his house looks like but I do wonder what you consider a house should be ‘to do with Scotland’.- repro?
Robert Wakeham also commented
- Why the gratuitous sour remark, MG? At the risk of being accused of further pedantry, the proposed site for the repro castle isn’t ‘amongst a complete mishmash of house styles and types’ and my comment about the council website was accurate, so wouldn’t it be a good idea to stick to the facts? Or do you just like sniping at people?
- The council’s reference for this application is actually 12/00814/PP – but it seems that it’s yet to appear on the interactive map of planning and building warrant applications on the council’s website. I can understand Ewan Kennedy’s objections but it might just be that the location of the repro castle, albeit not far from Glenmore House, is sufficiently tucked into the woodland at the foot of the hill slope that it doesn’t really spoil the house’s setting. It wouldn’t be the first ornate ‘non native’ castle in the west – or even the first modern repro castle. As long as the existing woodland is conserved it could well be less obtrusive than other recent development in the area, for example the array of bungalows further down the loch at Kames.
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It’s worse than that – Amazon has been instrumental in destroying many small bookshops, which being ‘captive’ local businesses paid national and local taxes and employed local people. I doubt that they qualified for much in the way of government financial help at all, but I do know that they became browsing places for Amazon customers who – once they’d decided what they wanted – went on line to buy from good old Amazon.The really grotesque icing on the cake is that – while multinational sharks like Amazon, Google and Starbucks are free to claim, quite legally, that technically they make little or no profit in Britain – Britain has at the same time, by reason of the culture of business deregulation, become the country of choice for the world’s most corrupt, least transparent companies.
No exaggeration – just read the 6-page feature ‘Where there’s muck there’s brass plates’ in today’s ‘Private Eye’.
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Would the tone of Mr Kennedy’s objection suggest, perhaps, that he would be able to see the development from his own house at er….. the head of Loch Melfort?
Just a thought.
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The council’s reference for this application is actually 12/00814/PP – but it seems that it’s yet to appear on the interactive map of planning and building warrant applications on the council’s website. I can understand Ewan Kennedy’s objections but it might just be that the location of the repro castle, albeit not far from Glenmore House, is sufficiently tucked into the woodland at the foot of the hill slope that it doesn’t really spoil the house’s setting. It wouldn’t be the first ornate ‘non native’ castle in the west – or even the first modern repro castle. As long as the existing woodland is conserved it could well be less obtrusive than other recent development in the area, for example the array of bungalows further down the loch at Kames.
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I make absolutely no secret of the fact that I am a local resident and suggest that it’s not unusual for people to be concerned about the amenity of the area in which they live. It is of course welcome that Mr Gibson takes an interest in our environment from his home in Malibu.
And, Robert, I agree that the decision to grant consent for more houses on the Kames peninsula was a shocking example of bad planning, in breach of the policies that were supposed to protect that site. You will find that I objected to it at the time.
I see that A&BC have called for a photomontage of the proposal, so it will be interesting to see how obtrusive it will be. The problem with most repro castles is that they usually are highly visible, perhaps Shuna Castle being a good early example, that maybe being the whole point.
Finally I should clarify that my objection failed to go through as it exceeded the permitted length, not due to any software fault. I wouldn’t want to add unfairly to A&BC’s woes.
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Good luck to the development a nice bit of house building if you can afford it beats the glut of boring bland house that currently clutter Loch Melfort..
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The vernacular architecture in Argyll tends towards white or drab grey single storey boxes (largely of the McLeod variety in that area I believe), with some individual ‘flair’ such as the ubiquitous conservatory.
There is rarely anything being built that in 50 years time people will look at and say wow.
If someone has the cash and the imagination to build a faux castle, in a style that really will not spoil that particular landscape and amongst a complete mishmosh of house styles and types, then why the shrill objections?
No jealousy from me, I say good on them.
And as for Mr Wakeham’s PhD in Pedantry, the application is on the website with all the detail anyone needs.
And I think Mr Kennedy has mistaken me for a film actor.
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Why the gratuitous sour remark, MG? At the risk of being accused of further pedantry, the proposed site for the repro castle isn’t ‘amongst a complete mishmash of house styles and types’ and my comment about the council website was accurate, so wouldn’t it be a good idea to stick to the facts? Or do you just like sniping at people?
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Pedant.
And I said that Argyll was a mishmash of house styles and types.
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The problems on house design in ABDC stem from the planning department at ABDC .Simply McLeod’s have to build according to the criteria supplied by ABDC planning…Mr Kennedy’s house is such a mis-mash and has angles and glass everywhere with no design towards heritage which he so vehemently presented wrongly in his argument…what has his own house to do with Scotland ? all to do about nothing except, a 70`s dream trip on modern design…as they say people in glass house’s should not throw the verbal stone..
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Haven’t seen your name before, ‘awayyago’, but – taken with your comments – it seems fairly intolerant. Why on earth shouldn’t someone criticise proposed development if they think it’ll effect the setting of a fine existing house? I happen to think that the damage might not be too bad, but I’m not about to start slanging him; I’ve no idea what his house looks like but I do wonder what you consider a house should be ‘to do with Scotland’.- repro?
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Planning applications are always a difficult and sensitive subject, having been at the sharp end from both sides in the past. There will always be someone who disagrees with another person’s idea of a dream home, and as we well know there are plenty of people who object to applications because they got there first and want to keep the area as they found it.
I agree with you Robert that the damage from this proposal shouldn’t be a problem (and I apologise for my snippy pedant comments, the Rose is heady stuff in this heat) and might actually enhance the area, setting off Glenmore house and whatever happens to the steading.
While I wouldn’t stoop so low as to criticise Mr Kennedy’s taste in house design, it does beg the question what is considered acceptable and what isn’t.
Of course, we don’t want to return to the days of the blackhouse, so we should embrace house design, whether traditional, modern or ’70′s dream trip with a twist.
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Sure this is the grey area of design in Scotland. Simply if someone wants to build on stilts should it not be allowed?(it would save the flood plains as in Germany an adopted design).Simply ,Scotland is unlike the Germans,Egyptians, or the Popeye’s so why the high brow approach from Kennedy?. who seems to be nothing more than a career objector when it comes to anyone, submitting a planning application. For a dog kennel never mind a hoose….the guy is well documented ..just ask him he will proudly tell you all the applications he has objected to in the very short time he has been resident on the West Coast …question for him how many local people can he recognise in the film, Ring Of Bright Water?..How local is he honestly? ZILCH!!!
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And..has anyone ever seen an objection from said owners of the existing hoose?..but! agast! this is not Kennedy`s argument ..he does not take that small point into consideration but…. based argument`s along the line of scottish design on the west coast..which simply none exist`s …and were proud of it!!
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May I add my support to your application.
Not before time Argyll engages with innovative architectural design.
Historically Architecture has always plagerised styles from the past and there is nothing fundementally wrong in that.
Good luck with your application.
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If the council website will not allow online objections to a planning application there is a simple solution. Deal direct with the “Organ grinder and not the Monkey”!
The last time I was unable to make an online comment about a planning application I sent an email direct to Angus J. Gilmour the Head of Planning at Argyll & Bute Council concerning my complaint. The following business day I had an email from one of his staff apologising for the problem with the council website.
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There has of course been some quite shocking prefab type housing in the west of scotland over the years which has been neither inspiring nor inkeeping. It really has to end and decent planning officers employed and supported by the council instead of them trying to be everyones pal. Their weak attitude has tarnished many areas here forever.
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This whole affair of a ‘castle’ at the head of Loch Melfort has precipitated rumours from within the local community (no names mentioned but seems to have emanated from the Childrens playgroup mothers) that movie star “Mel Gibson” – yes he of antipodean, post-holocaust B movie fame slash William Wallace wannabe – has been revving up and down the coast road from the Culfail to the Galley of Lorne – no doubt picking up anything in a skirt and abusing the local minorities. The rumour has spread to Oban as a local Electrician was heard discussing having spotted MG at the Oyster Bar in Connel. By this time next week Mel will be propping up the local economy in Fort William.
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