Planning permission

There followed lots of staring into the distance and furrowed brows as the ideas flowed for what we actually wanted to create, the room functions, the time to be spent here and whether we would rent the finished house out.  Finally we agreed that the house and barn should be merged to form one large dwelling with 5 good sized bedrooms and bathrooms.  Ambitious I hear you say!  Absolutely, but Malcolm would point you to the properties I had initially considered, which included huge stone presbyteries and mills, which even I eventually concluded were hopelessly unrealistic and beyond our needs.  And means! 

This project is certainly big, but do-able in stages and we aren't in any major hurry.  We see it as an evolving being, a gentle reawakening of a sleeping stone giant, assisted with a few judicious prods around his waistline plus a visit to a barber and stylish but homely gentleman's outfitter. 

Having heard horror stories about planning permission taking years and unsure if we were in the 500m radius of the chateau, where apparently even more obstacles are placed in the path of the unwary, we applied for all that we hoped for.  This included a pool (I suspect this may remain an optimistic weedy corner of the garden for a few years), a balcony off our bedroom and new dormer and velux windows. 

Then we waited, having been told that any objections needed to be lodged within 2 months, meaning that permission could be granted by Christmas 2012. 

Apparently not located in a restricted area and although no new building is allowed in the village, as we are not altering the footprint of the building, we received the perfect Christmas gift.  Full permission with NO amendments.  A trouble free purchase and permission, surely it's all going too well?