Sunday 19 November 2017

A Sunday rant.



FORTY-BLOODY-FIVE years I've lived in my tiny hamlet; forty three of which were spent in perfect peace, quiet, and harmony. I've owned two different houses here, (and another a few miles away), but when I started to make our present one livable-in, we were assured by neighbours that our tranquility was GUARANTEED; local by-laws totally forbade anyone from building new homes here.

At the time I had just two lots of neighbours. Immediately next door (100 yards away) were a pair of Parisian, Zen Buddhist, Lesbians, who were a total delight. And the other house (another 100 yards further away) was owned by a man and his elderly mother who spent just a couple of weeks a year here.

Since then all of my original neighbours have died off, and I am left surrounded by those who have arrived since; I feel like the last of an era. I bought, and restored, my ruined cottage for it's simplicity, beauty, and tranquility, but even though we try to live a quiet life, there are always those who try to see that we don't.

Over recent years we have faced some really bizarre behaviour, but now we are facing possibly the worst of the lot. We are to have a holiday village plonked right on our bloody doorstep, and we are supposed to be grateful.

27 (probably rowdy) holidaymakers will soon be disturbing our Summer's peace and quiet; 27 of a type who are prepared to holiday in buried shipping containers, whoever that might be.

In the photo above you might just be able to see the roof of a barn. My youngest son owns the barn next to it (slightly further to the right) so you can imagine his proximity to the holiday camp. The huge mounds of earth show where the old shipping containers will be semi-buried.

The 'newcomer' who wishes to start this holiday camp is surprised (angry even) that all the surrounding residents are against his plans. He doesn't seem to understand that once our treasured tranquility has gone; it will be gone for ever.

We bought our homes for the peaceful bucolic ambiance they afforded; he bought his with the surreptitious intention of bringing in loads of effing holidaymakers. I can hardly explain how bloody mad I am. He arranged an explanatory meeting recently; I couldn't even face seeing him.

The most recent newcomer to our tiny hamlet (a Brit) bought his small converted barn just a year or so ago, and now finds that he is to have a semi-underground trailer park right behind his house. He is understandably furious. No-one had said a word to him about it as he was completing his purchase. I feel more sorry for him than I do for any of the others; including myself.

The would-be holiday camp owner has already fitted several inappropriate fittings to his beautiful ancient home, including an awful 1950's door, and a striped awning; one can only imagine what more horrors are to come. I do wish he would just bugger off, buy himself a more suitable secluded property, and leave us all in the peace that we so covet.

Some people just couldn't give an effing damn about their neighbours! Money is god!




47 comments:

  1. Are there no by-laws, covenants or zoning restrictions that will help? It sounds like he is using a residential property as a commercial enterprise.
    Barb

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    1. We've been through all possible angles, and it seems as if he's won. We're not happy.

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  2. I am quite sure that would not be allowed here.

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    1. We're all amazed that it's allowed here! It's in a totally inappropriate place.

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  3. Dreadful. Do you have a local mayor? What's he say?

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    1. He's on his side. I suppose he thinks it'll bring employment and cash to the village.

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  4. We were told the same thing when we bought our house almost 20 years ago, protected area, no new builds etc. Since then two new bungalows have been built in the hamlet. I just hope we don't have any holiday parks coming our way.

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    1. We've had one new small wooden 'cabin' built nearby, but we've got used to it. I can't see us ever getting used to lots of people and lots of noise.

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  5. You've hit the nail on the head, money is all anyone thinks of these days. What for? is my question. I know I keep banging on about it, but all anyone needs is a roof, warmth and food, (and peace and quiet!) anything else is just 'stuff' to show off about, and who gives a fig anyway? People need to learn contentment and not to need all this 'stuff' which you need to have money for. I really feel for you Cro, we all want is a bit of peace and quiet but it's becoming increasingly difficult to get these days.

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    1. The man in question is quite a good carpenter; I've used him myself. His wife is a manager in a local big supermarket. He also runs a 7 person Gite. One might have thought that they had a pretty good income. But they are prepared to abandon all that just to make even more money, and annoy everyone.

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  6. Perhaps you could give him unwelcome publicity and worry his holidaymakers. Round here we are awash with 'No fracking' signs, a sturdy resilence will at least bring it out into the open.

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    1. I quite expect his 'guests' will do that by themselves. Maybe no-one will wish to rent his old containers!

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  7. Hopefully no-one will want to pay to stay in a buried container and the whole thing will close down.

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  8. Ask him to put a mound of the soil along the nearest boundary to your property; it will dull any sounds. Invite him to dinner, be friends with the enemy, keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. What's done is done and it isn't going away.

    As for the man who recently bought a barn, it sounds like planning searches in France leave a lot to be desired. Perhaps he should sue his notary.

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    1. He's supposed to be building mounds of earth all around, plus hedges. We'll see! I shan't be inviting him for dinner.

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  9. Oh dear, how dreadful. Hope the plans to do not come to fruition.

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    1. I fear they will; he's hoping to be ready for next Summer, although I doubt if he will.

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  10. I am so sorry Cro - I really feel for you. I suppose living on an estate - which I now do - at least I know the worst, although there is one empty space right opposite my bungalow.

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    1. We all feel so powerless. The majority are not being listened to.

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  11. I feel for you, Cro. It would seem as if he is ruining your retirement to improve his own. Maybe you could unearth some dirt involving the Mayor and his dealings with him to get permission for the park? Just a thought...

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    1. All options are being considered! I shall say no more.

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  12. I am a fairly new reader of your blog and I really enjoy it. I had to comment because I'm shocked by this. Did you consult a planning lawyer? I just cannot believe this is being allowed to happen. What are the environmental impacts of buried shipping containers and the plumbing lines etc I'm assuming they'll require? Was there a noise assessment done?
    The whole thing just sounds dreadful.

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    1. Hi Dani. We have been through several processes, and have failed at each attempt. I think we have to now accept that Bureaucracy has won the day, and those who pay their inflated salaries have lost.

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  13. The powers that be call it growth and progress. I don’t.

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    1. That's exactly it. But those poor tourists who used to flood to this area, will soon find a very different place.

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  14. If you are wealthy enough to give local council people a nice back-hander it seems anything can be built. In our road of Edwardian houses one was demolished and a 'Lego' house built in its place. Totally out of place and no one lives there. It's useful for directions to our house though, 'we're five doors down from the ugly house'. Everyone knows what we mean.

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    1. 'One hundred yards past the ugly shipping containers'. I'll remember that.

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  15. Oh Cro ..... how awful ..... and probably nothing you can do about it ..... maybe those in power or the guy himself might have sexual harrassment allegations against them as everyone on high is having at the moment { even Aled Jones now !!! } .... I'm clutching at straws for you !! XXXX

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    1. Unfortunately, most straws have already been clutched, and have proved useless. We now revert to crossing fingers!

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  16. Underground containers you say? Holes in the ground tend to flood easily. A long hose might be your best friend. Alternatively is there not some endangered species of snail or or some such critter that could suddenly be discovered on the property so that the local Environmental Protection Agency might be notified and intervene?

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    1. I believe they have quite a short life-span; between 12 and 15 years. He would probably have been wiser to build something more solid. As for endangered species; I think that's us!

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  17. I have no words !
    But then there are the words horrific, disgusting, awful, dumb, stupid... gosh I do have a few words.
    Can you find out if any money passed through greedy fingers ?

    cheers, parsnip

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  18. I can't imagine moving forward with a plan that all around me are actively against. (The mayor of your hamlet is for it though, no?) All the money in the world couldn't shield me from feeling like a pariah in my own home. -wonder how this person keeps himself insulated from criticism? -truly sorry that this holiday village plan is moving forward.

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  19. I have been following you for a while now but hadn't got round to leaving a comment (a lurker!). When you last talked about this I hoped that by some miracle it wouldn't go ahead. Now I feel compelled to finally comment as I so feel your pain. This seems so utterly unfair. I can only imagine how angry and how upset you must feel. I can't offer up anything helpful as I know you have exhausted all routes of complaint but just wanted to reach out to you somehow.

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  20. Walk round naked ! That will put potential neighbours off

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  21. How absolutely sickening. I have a good idea as to how you must be feeling as we have had similar battles over the years - and lost. Like you, we value our peace and privacy greatly. My opinion of planners and the decisions they make is rock bottom.

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  22. The project does sound awful, and I suppose all legal avenues have been explored.

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  23. Honestly, words fail me! I can't imagine how horrible it all is - if it happened to us, I'd be devastated.

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  24. Thank you all for your kind words and sympathy. All that now remains is for us to see how it turns out. I am not looking forward to it; at least at my age, I won't have to suffer from it for too long.

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  25. Look on the bright side!. It's not going to attract 18 to 30 holiday hooligans. Rural France people think gites in a village visiting cafes eating gourmet food.
    Probably attract Eco hippy types. Cooking baked potatoes on a barbie.
    What does his advertising say?.

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  26. Start spraying pig effluent on neighbouring properties. Soon get it a smelly reputation.

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  27. Here in small town (pop. 1300) Hillsboro WI, we were 'guaranteed' no development in the vast field behind our house for twenty years...4 years later the building began and has now reached 14 homes. One is directly behind us, it took them 20 loads of dirt to build up the lot to be level with ours, and blocks our view of the hillsides beyond. WE definitely found out you can't fight city hall. Dammit all.

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  28. I think there is a lack of appreciation here with the chap's attitude - as the reason people will want to come is because of the way the current residents have made it a very lovely place to be in or to walk through. It is through the work and time and effort of everyone already there - so he ought to be paying a tax to everyone in all fairness?

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    1. Maybe we should all chuck our rubbish over his fence from now on.

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