No not with a dodgy premium rate phone line but for an email conversation with the local planning department.
Rochford church is trying to update its heating system and what is intended might be covered by church planning rules or might need local authority permission too.
So an email to Malvern Hills District Council explaining what we want to do and asking if church planning is enough. The email reply says yes we do need their planning approval and telling us that counts as " advice" for which a fee of £51 is chargeable!
But why doesn't church planning cover this? I reply.
Because of paragraph 27 of the attached document, comes their answer, and any further advice is £51
Are you sure you're right, I ask, What about paragraphs 5, 16 and Annex A which seem to say something quite different.
I'm not going to answer that, comes the reply from the planners, till you give me £51 pounds.
I know times are tight for local authorities but having to pay to get them to justify their decisions!
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