I didn't sleep well last night. The thought of Alice's recycling has been playing on my mind. In that half-sleep state I decided that the bungalow needed to regenerate and that the missing bits in my hoover bag would spoil it all - too much Dr Who? It's morning and I need to wake myself up - surely the lorries will show and that'll do it? No such luck, so it's off to work with a sideways look at the neat piles behind the big metal fence. I can't get excited about much this morning - too tired! During the day I remember that the enforcement officer has been round and, with a bit of luck , I will still have time to ring him after work. This gets me thinking that the sooner I get to my next lesson, the sooner I get home, which is rubbish because the school day finishes when it finishes. I still rush.
Home at last, where a quick dash to the phone is all I can think about. So much so that I almost miss the latest happening. What's this? Something colourful has caught my eye. There on the previously bare and menacing metal barrier is a bright, cheery board - declaring all behind it a "demolition site"! Would never have guessed! Various other bits of health and safety advice also loom large, and warnings about hard hats. Ummm.... I am starting to wonder about enforcement.
To the phone and he's there. He's pleased to inform me that he has visited the site and yes, there have been some irregularities. Health and safety require clear signs etc etc etc . I grit my teeth, stifle the yawn and wait for him to finish, but to my amazement he is now talking about compliance and tree protection. This is getting interesting. We had a good conversation and the man and his office are quite possibly more than the damp squid I had them down for. To cut a long story short (I'm tired), the demolition is not quite unlawful, since demolition is not the same as building - a grey area (like our dust-covered house). However, they do need to submit and gain approval for their proposed solutions to the compliance conditions put on the planning consent (including tree protection, dust control, lorry parking, unloading and lots more), before they start any construction. The good news is that the environmental health department can enforce dust containment during demolition, so I will email them asap (there is still one bungalow to go). He thanks me for contacting his office and asks me to keep an eye on the site - especially the trees. I don't mind that the oaks have more rights than me - they will be here long after I have gone.
All in all, a good day. I have made a friend, have a legitimate reason to spy and may yet get our windows cleaned.
"Health & safety signs"
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