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25/10/09
In December 2006 we finally received planning permission from the Snowdonia National Park to live legally on our own land, twenty years after our first application went in. The permission was granted for a barn conversion which is not what we really wanted and represents a compromise solution but we were just exhausted by the whole business plus two bouts of cancer and felt we could just no longer go on with the threat of eviction hanging over us.
We used an architect to negotiate with the planners for us. In the end they allowed us a timber extension which in itself is almost the size of the low impact development we had been trying for. There are no ties to the land or to working on the holding so basically its a new dwelling in the open countryside, exactly what they were objecting to with our low impact application. Its also a much more energy consuming venture than our low impact application.
We were given a time limit of just two years to complete the work and remove the caravan and attached timber annex which are still subject to the enforcement order. Given the extremely wet summer of 2008 and a further close encounter with cancer, we had to apply for a year's extension (and pay again). Although the building is still not finished we have made good progress and are looking forward to a major re-evaluation of our work here at Penrhos once we are settled in our new home.
Many thanks for everyone who has supported us over the years, especially those of you who visited; your enthusiasm for our work has sustained us through some dark days.
Regarding the conversion work, many people have helped in various ways- thanks to you all. We'd like to mention just a few in person here.