0:00:02 > 0:00:05Planning battles are raging across Britain.
0:00:05 > 0:00:06I love the countryside.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08So do I, mate. So leave it alone.
0:00:08 > 0:00:09I don't have time for NIMBYs.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12No to the Student Village!
0:00:12 > 0:00:14In a drive to boost the economy,
0:00:14 > 0:00:17the government has relaxed planning laws.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19Here we are, with a massive planning application.
0:00:19 > 0:00:20It is a big project.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23You're talking about 270 million of economic benefit.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27I mean, we like to see enterprise, but not on our doorstep.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29So developers are cashing in.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32Of course I'm here to make a buck. Guilty as charged.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34Objectors are going to war.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37It's not morally right, it's not socially right.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39Disgusting.
0:00:39 > 0:00:40Totally stitched up.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42- Boo!- And I'm not having
0:00:42 > 0:00:45that they were frightened of a bunch of pensioners!
0:00:45 > 0:00:48Deciding who wins are Britain's planners.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50I can't sit on the fence.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52Well, it's not a fence. It's railings, basically.
0:00:58 > 0:01:03Tonight, residents see red over a proposed new housing development.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05That is our history
0:01:05 > 0:01:08and that's what they want to put all this housing on.
0:01:08 > 0:01:09Ugh, developer...
0:01:09 > 0:01:13Locals don't want to see a new business venture get off the ground.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17Hovercrafting, it's noise pollution.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20It's not an accepted thing in a quiet little town.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23And a constituent loses faith in democracy.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25I don't know about the law being an ass.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27I think the council's an ass.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37In Britain, planners aren't always alone
0:01:37 > 0:01:39when they make their decisions.
0:01:39 > 0:01:4125 statutory consultees,
0:01:41 > 0:01:43including the Department of Transport
0:01:43 > 0:01:45and the Environment Agency
0:01:45 > 0:01:46must have their say
0:01:46 > 0:01:49when planning applications affect their jurisdiction.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03In Hertfordshire, 55-year-old ex-brickie Lee Williamson
0:02:03 > 0:02:06lives in this six bedroom mock Georgian mansion
0:02:06 > 0:02:09that he designed and built from scratch eight years ago.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14It's just a classical Georgian country house style
0:02:14 > 0:02:16that's faithfully reproduced.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21This is obviously the entrance hall.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26The whole house was designed around this cantilevered staircase.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30Lee made his millions as a major property developer,
0:02:30 > 0:02:34building high-class housing estates across the borough
0:02:34 > 0:02:39and specialising in creating lavish homes for the rich and famous.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45I enjoy building what I call footballers' wives' houses.
0:02:45 > 0:02:46We do the whole spectrum,
0:02:46 > 0:02:50from first-time buyers up to a property of this level.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56But Lee's next planning application
0:02:56 > 0:02:59is far from a fairytale fantasy pad.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03In fact, this time, he's pitching left of field.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13In 2009, Lee took on a new business venture.
0:03:14 > 0:03:19He leased non-league football club Cheshunt FC from Broxbourne Council
0:03:19 > 0:03:22and one of his four children, 34-year-old Dean,
0:03:22 > 0:03:24gave up a job in the City
0:03:24 > 0:03:27to work as the chairman of the dilapidated club.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31- INTERVIEWER:- What's the caravan?
0:03:31 > 0:03:34That...at the moment, it's our on-site security,
0:03:34 > 0:03:36although he's off in Bulgaria at the moment.
0:03:36 > 0:03:37HE LAUGHS
0:03:37 > 0:03:39So, not very secure.
0:03:41 > 0:03:46The club came with £120,000 of debts that Lee had to repay.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50I can show you the director's box - there you go.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55It's not all prawn sandwiches and leather seats.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00And he's already spent over £400,000 making alterations,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03including refurbishing the old clubhouse.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08We think we've achieved something just by doing this.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12At least the wives and girlfriends are happier to come in here.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19But the clubhouse is just the beginning.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23Lee and Dean want to turn this run-down club
0:04:23 > 0:04:25into a local centre of sporting excellence,
0:04:25 > 0:04:30with a football academy and state-of-the-art training facilities
0:04:30 > 0:04:33to attract new players and boost revenue.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37But a top quality club needs top quality pitches
0:04:37 > 0:04:41and the four at Cheshunt are on an old landfill site.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47The landfill was in operation in the late '30s, early '40s
0:04:47 > 0:04:49and it was used for inert waste,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52so that's waste that, once it's buried, remains unaltered,
0:04:52 > 0:04:54so glass, brick, stone, concrete.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56It's all made its way to the surface.
0:04:56 > 0:04:57So that is extremely dangerous
0:04:57 > 0:05:00for any team or child playing a sport.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02We have had cases of broken ankles,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05which is caused by the undulations in the ground
0:05:05 > 0:05:09and we've also had minor cuts and abrasions,
0:05:09 > 0:05:10but it could be far worse.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13It only needs a piece of rebar from a piece of concrete
0:05:13 > 0:05:15to come up through the surface -
0:05:15 > 0:05:16somebody does a slide tackle,
0:05:16 > 0:05:18they can quite easily slice open a leg.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24So Lee and Dean have come up with a solution.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26They have spent £50,000
0:05:26 > 0:05:29on a planning application to improve the pitches
0:05:29 > 0:05:32by bringing in 100,000 cubic metres of soil.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39Our proposals are to import clean, Environment Agency-approved soil
0:05:39 > 0:05:40to the site
0:05:40 > 0:05:44to level off the pitches and provide what would be
0:05:44 > 0:05:48first-class training facilities for football development.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54There have been no local objections to the £1 million project,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57but that doesn't mean Lee and Dean are on the home straight.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07Planner Rob Webster will be refereeing the application.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11You can tell by my physique
0:06:11 > 0:06:13that I'm not the most...athletic of people.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17A refusal from Rob could cost Lee and Dean
0:06:17 > 0:06:20the £500,000 they have invested so far.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22It's a bargain!
0:06:22 > 0:06:26Today, Rob is assessing whether bringing such a large amount of soil
0:06:26 > 0:06:30into the football grounds could cause potential problems.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35What's proposed as part of the application is, um...
0:06:35 > 0:06:38In theory, it's not that complicated.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42It's essentially bringing in a fairly significant amount of soil
0:06:42 > 0:06:46to bring the level of the rest of the site up by...
0:06:46 > 0:06:48It probably averages about a metre.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51In some places, it's a bit more, about two metres higher.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55Having visited the site,
0:06:55 > 0:06:59Rob finds out he can't make a decision on his own.
0:06:59 > 0:07:00The volume of earth is so great
0:07:00 > 0:07:03that the application will also need the approval
0:07:03 > 0:07:05of the Highways Department.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09At the peak of bringing earth in,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12I think it's something like 50 lorries a day -
0:07:12 > 0:07:13that will be one to think about.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25As the demand for land increases,
0:07:25 > 0:07:29developers are coming up with innovative ways to build new homes
0:07:29 > 0:07:31on even the most challenging plots.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38In Chester, Head Planner Fiona Edwards
0:07:38 > 0:07:41is on her way to assess an unusual plot
0:07:41 > 0:07:43in the historic village of Churton,
0:07:43 > 0:07:46where some properties date back to the 17th century.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54We'll have to wait for the bin lorry, I think.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59Sometimes you think there's not a real great deal of urgency.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05The application Fiona is considering
0:08:05 > 0:08:08is to build a house at the base of a sandstone quarry
0:08:08 > 0:08:10five metres below street level.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14This is when you thank God it's not windy -
0:08:14 > 0:08:16if this dropped into the bottom of the quarry,
0:08:16 > 0:08:18I'm not sure how we'd get it out.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Could try abseiling, but I don't think I have any ropes.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25This is a speculative build,
0:08:25 > 0:08:28so to maximise profit from this difficult plot,
0:08:28 > 0:08:32the developer has come up with a high-end, three-storey design.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Essentially, they'll come in at the top floor
0:08:36 > 0:08:38and get all their living accommodation there.
0:08:38 > 0:08:39Their kitchen, their living area,
0:08:39 > 0:08:41their main space they would use every day
0:08:41 > 0:08:43is going to be on the top floor.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45But their bedroom space is on the lower ground floors,
0:08:45 > 0:08:48if you like, so they'll be going downstairs to bed.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51The house might be innovative,
0:08:51 > 0:08:54but the design has proved unpopular with the locals.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58The residents have described it as a spaceship,
0:08:58 > 0:09:01which, I suppose, if you look at it at face value,
0:09:01 > 0:09:03it does look a bit spaceship-like.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05It's got a vaguely conical roof,
0:09:05 > 0:09:09it's going to have to land within the plot, in effect.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11I think it's human nature sometimes to...
0:09:13 > 0:09:14..perhaps fear is too strong a word,
0:09:14 > 0:09:16but dislike things that we don't understand.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20I'm the alien, cos I'm the Welshwoman,
0:09:20 > 0:09:23impinging on their Cheshire environment.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25You know it's still illegal for a Welsh person
0:09:25 > 0:09:27to be inside the city walls after ten o'clock at night?
0:09:27 > 0:09:31They're allowed to shoot me - I'm sure a lot of them would love to.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33But...it's a bit extreme.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35I'm only half-Welsh, so that's my excuse.
0:09:45 > 0:09:4765-year-old Barry Littler
0:09:47 > 0:09:51is one of the six local villagers objecting to the scheme.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54Jealous Pants now...get down, now.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57Uh-uh-uh, come on, down, down.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01Barry has lived next door to the proposed site
0:10:01 > 0:10:05with his wife and two dogs, Bilbo and Ben, for 11 years.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09You little devil - what have you got?
0:10:09 > 0:10:12Come on, give it to me. Where did you get that from?
0:10:12 > 0:10:16But this objector is hoping the project won't be approved,
0:10:16 > 0:10:17as it is in a conservation area.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23I put in plans for a conservatory and they said
0:10:23 > 0:10:27it had to be made of mahogany to match the mahogany windows,
0:10:27 > 0:10:29because we were in a conservation area.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32It's cost me a lot of extra money to do it,
0:10:32 > 0:10:35but they're planning to build a spaceship in the quarry -
0:10:35 > 0:10:38it's just laughable, it really is.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41And as planner Fiona prepares to give her recommendation,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44she is also wondering whether the site is right
0:10:44 > 0:10:46for this development.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49A conservation area, the duty is not to conserve,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52it's to preserve - there's a difference.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57But it goes further than preserve. It goes from preserve to enhance.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02Will a futuristic design be allowed in this traditional setting?
0:11:02 > 0:11:05Fiona will give her recommendation in two weeks.
0:11:12 > 0:11:17There are 33 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the UK -
0:11:17 > 0:11:21protected land where construction of new houses is restricted.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27But as the country faces an unprecedented housing shortage,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29these too are being considered for development.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37Just outside Stroud in Gloucestershire,
0:11:37 > 0:11:42Head Planner Phil Skill is assessing an application to build 100 homes
0:11:42 > 0:11:46inside England's largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty -
0:11:46 > 0:11:47the Cotswolds.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52I'm going to have a public enquiry into who decided to do this
0:11:52 > 0:11:54at 12 o'clock on the hottest day of the year.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Me and heat don't go well together.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59Phil is visiting Rodborough Fields
0:11:59 > 0:12:03with colleagues Darrell Rodgers and Laura Humphries.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05This is Rodborough Field's key wildlife site,
0:12:05 > 0:12:07which is part of this field and then the fields beyond, over there.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09That's a community asset.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12There has been strong local opposition to the scheme,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15but the planners need to assess whether it's suitable
0:12:15 > 0:12:17for this greenfield site.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Where you actually have a development of this size
0:12:21 > 0:12:25butting up to an established housing estate -
0:12:25 > 0:12:27which, for many years, has had this vista,
0:12:27 > 0:12:30has this view out over the meadows -
0:12:30 > 0:12:33you're bound to get friction between the two parties.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36One of our roles is to try and smooth that out
0:12:36 > 0:12:38so we get to the underlying issues -
0:12:38 > 0:12:41what harm would the development do and is that harm too much?
0:12:46 > 0:12:49In the housing estate backing onto Rodborough Fields,
0:12:49 > 0:12:50one man is leading the fight
0:12:50 > 0:12:53to stop the new development from going ahead.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57Always said, "Right - I'm going to learn the guitar."
0:13:02 > 0:13:04There you go.
0:13:04 > 0:13:0748-year-old Rob Griffiths is a father of four.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09My kids, just before this all came out,
0:13:09 > 0:13:10got me some little guitar lessons,
0:13:10 > 0:13:14so I know some basic chords, which was really great.
0:13:14 > 0:13:15No, no, magic...
0:13:16 > 0:13:17That's a C.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22But it's about having the time to do it.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27It's embarrassing, really.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33Recently, Rob's leisure activities have been sidelined
0:13:33 > 0:13:34for a more pressing cause.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42Rob is the Chair of the Rodborough Fields Preservation Group,
0:13:42 > 0:13:45the action group defending this key wildlife site
0:13:45 > 0:13:48which is home to many protected species.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50This is a wild meadow.
0:13:50 > 0:13:55Prince Charles, he's trying to start up 60 wild meadow fields.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59Well, we've got one here that a developer wants to build on.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01Stop him building on it.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03Ugh, developer...
0:14:07 > 0:14:09The developer in question is a seasoned pro
0:14:09 > 0:14:11at the planning process.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15Lioncourt Homes is a multimillion pound property company
0:14:15 > 0:14:17who build around 100 family homes a year
0:14:17 > 0:14:20in the Midlands and Central England.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25The man who'll determine the outcome of their latest application
0:14:25 > 0:14:27is Head of Planning Phil Skill.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32In the next 20 years, we've got to build around 9,000-10,000 houses.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35What you've got to remember is the council doesn't build those -
0:14:35 > 0:14:36the developers do.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38My role is to allocate that land.
0:14:40 > 0:14:45The Rodborough Fields site could be a suitable area for development.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47The site's got quite a few things going for it.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51It's going to bring 100 houses to Stroud and much-needed homes.
0:14:51 > 0:14:5330% of those are going to affordable,
0:14:53 > 0:14:56so they're going to be houses for rent
0:14:56 > 0:14:58or to purchase at a reduced price.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01It's right on the edge of Stroud town itself,
0:15:01 > 0:15:03so on sustainability,
0:15:03 > 0:15:06it's probably got quite a few ticks in those boxes.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15But for objector Rob Griffiths and other local residents,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18these fields do more than tick boxes.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21Be careful as you go across the road!
0:15:25 > 0:15:27They're part of their local history.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33Stroud is really known for the Stroud Scarlet,
0:15:33 > 0:15:35which is the red cloth, military cloth
0:15:35 > 0:15:37that was dried in these fields.
0:15:39 > 0:15:40We live in this unique area,
0:15:40 > 0:15:45this blend of industrial history and beautiful nature.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51It's what the fields stand for. It's the history of our town.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53And we need to stand up and fight for that.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01In the 18th century, Stroud Scarlet clothed the Redcoats
0:16:01 > 0:16:04who fought rebellious American colonists.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14In a bid to highlight their cause, Rob and his red army of residents
0:16:14 > 0:16:17are marching through the very same field
0:16:17 > 0:16:19that was once used to dry the scarlet cloth.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27Why not build homes on brownfield sites
0:16:27 > 0:16:31so that these new families will also be able
0:16:31 > 0:16:33to feel a part of it all?
0:16:35 > 0:16:37For Rob's army, if this field is built on,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40a piece of English history would be lost
0:16:40 > 0:16:43and they are determined to do whatever it takes to save it.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46By the time this development is finished,
0:16:46 > 0:16:48this whole side of the valley will be gone
0:16:48 > 0:16:49and it'll be gone for ever, then.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52You won't be able to put it back. It'll just be gone.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04Back in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire,
0:17:04 > 0:17:0634-year-old entrepreneur Dean Williamson
0:17:06 > 0:17:08wants to double the club's revenues
0:17:08 > 0:17:11by building seven new football pitches.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13This is the moment of truth.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17Ah, it's come out the wrong way round.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19LAUGHING: Typical!
0:17:19 > 0:17:22Dean and his father Lee have applied for planning permission
0:17:22 > 0:17:27to bring in 100,000 cubic metres of soil for the new pitches.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30The council is currently considering their application.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34What we can do here - that's what really drives me.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37If we can have all of our academies
0:17:37 > 0:17:40and Astroturf pitches and improvements,
0:17:40 > 0:17:43it'll be fantastic for the club, for the local town of Cheshunt.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48With around 50 heavy goods vehicles
0:17:48 > 0:17:52needing to access the grounds every day to bring in the soil,
0:17:52 > 0:17:55Highways officer Matt Armstrong will need to determine
0:17:55 > 0:17:58what effect that will have on the local road network.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02When I tell people I work for the Highway Authority, quite often,
0:18:02 > 0:18:04their eyes will glaze over.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08I don't think it's the most interesting of jobs to other people.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12The earth needed for this development
0:18:12 > 0:18:14would travel up the A10,
0:18:14 > 0:18:16one of the major routes in and out of London.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22About 50,000 vehicles a day use it, which is a lot.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26But personally, I'm very protective of roads like this, the A10.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Just to make sure that no development
0:18:29 > 0:18:32would...do any harm, really.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42There's about 100,000 cubic metres of soil
0:18:42 > 0:18:45being brought into the site to remodel the pitches.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49That's going to be 11,000 heavy goods vehicle movements.
0:18:49 > 0:18:50When you break that down,
0:18:50 > 0:18:53you're talking about six vehicle movements an hour
0:18:53 > 0:18:56coming in and out of the site, which is quite a lot.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Matt's recommendation will be crucial.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02If the plans aren't approved,
0:19:02 > 0:19:06the applicants stand to lose their £500,000 investment.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11If you imagine a...a heavy goods vehicle,
0:19:11 > 0:19:17perhaps carrying up to 20 tonnes of soil coming down here,
0:19:17 > 0:19:22and, as it turns in, the front cabin would be overshooting
0:19:22 > 0:19:24all the way around here.
0:19:25 > 0:19:30It can't help it, and then if you have a vehicle here,
0:19:30 > 0:19:32the lorry obviously can't do that.
0:19:34 > 0:19:39So, for example, something of that size would come right out
0:19:39 > 0:19:41onto this bit of the carriageway.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45I just think it would really create a situation of danger, to be honest.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49The potential consequences are huge.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53You could be talking, I suppose, at the very worst case scenario,
0:19:53 > 0:19:54a fatality.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02I think on that basis I'm going to recommend to the planner
0:20:02 > 0:20:04that it's refused at this stage.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14In Cheshire, a developer has applied for planning permission
0:20:14 > 0:20:18to build a contemporary, three storey house on an old quarry.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24This site is in the small village of Churton,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27a conservation area which boasts some historical properties
0:20:27 > 0:20:29dating back hundreds of years.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37The developer has already withdrawn one application
0:20:37 > 0:20:41after the planners recommended refusal of the scheme's design.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43But head planner Fiona Edwards
0:20:43 > 0:20:45has now come to a decision about the new plans.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49We feel, as officers,
0:20:49 > 0:20:52that this enhances the character and appearance
0:20:52 > 0:20:56of the conservation area. Yes, it's different, but it fits in.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58So, the recommendation that we will make
0:20:58 > 0:21:01is that this application is approved.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04But we'll wait and see what members decide to do with it
0:21:04 > 0:21:06when we get before planning committee.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13Chester's planning committee is made up of 11 elected councillors
0:21:13 > 0:21:17including a farmer and a rock salt producer,
0:21:17 > 0:21:20who have the power to go against a planning officer's advice.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23It's been a very long day.
0:21:23 > 0:21:28I started at - what? Quarter past seven this morning.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30And I've got another meeting this evening,
0:21:30 > 0:21:33so I'll probably get home about half past eight.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37I left home at quarter to eight this morning.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40And I've got another meeting as well.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43It's all part of the democratic process.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49Before making a decision, the committee visit every site.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54The report can explain a certain amount,
0:21:54 > 0:21:56but there's nothing like seeing it in the flesh.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04Planner Nial Casselden is showing the group around the quarry site.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07- How are you going to get cars down there?- I was going to say!
0:22:07 > 0:22:08Where are they going to put the garage?
0:22:08 > 0:22:10Is it going to be on a platform?
0:22:10 > 0:22:13It's quite an engineering challenge to do all that.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16It's one of the more unusual sights that you see,
0:22:16 > 0:22:17that's for sure.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20What if there was ice on the drive?
0:22:20 > 0:22:23The car would get down very fast, wouldn't it?
0:22:26 > 0:22:27Having seen the site,
0:22:27 > 0:22:32have the committee been won over by the proposed house in the quarry?
0:22:32 > 0:22:34There's no accounting for taste,
0:22:34 > 0:22:36the lady said as she kissed the cow.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42Well, we are seeing more and more of these grand designs,
0:22:42 > 0:22:45and opinion is, in the right setting,
0:22:45 > 0:22:48I think they're very interesting.
0:22:48 > 0:22:53And the question here is, perhaps, is it in the right setting?
0:23:10 > 0:23:15Planning can change people's lives - for the better or for the worse.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23Just opposite the historic market town of Frodsham, Cheshire,
0:23:23 > 0:23:27one man's business ambition is all riding on his planning application
0:23:27 > 0:23:28getting the rubber stamp.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43I miss flying jets.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46It's the best job in the world, for me.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50Ten years ago, 40-year-old Paul Hanks' military career
0:23:50 > 0:23:51was cut short.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55I was in the Royal Navy for eight years.
0:23:55 > 0:23:56And while I was in the Navy
0:23:56 > 0:24:00I was training to be a Navy Harrier Jump Jet pilot.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03I was injured during training.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07Two years' worth of physio, rehab, taking medication
0:24:07 > 0:24:10wasn't conducive with flying jets at 420 knots,
0:24:10 > 0:24:13so led to me being medically discharged.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21Now Paul wants to turn his need for speed into a money making venture.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27I've put planning application in for an outdoor activity centre,
0:24:27 > 0:24:29down on the Frodsham Marshes.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32Offer hovercraft buggies...
0:24:32 > 0:24:37This 18 acre field sits next to a stretch of the M56 motorway
0:24:37 > 0:24:40that has 100,000 vehicle movements a day.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43The main reason for choosing this site was proximity to the motorway.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46Because the activities that we're doing do generate noise,
0:24:46 > 0:24:49we needed to be somewhere either a long way away from housing,
0:24:49 > 0:24:52or the noise has to be masked by something else noisier,
0:24:52 > 0:24:54like the motorway behind us.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00So far, Paul has invested £2,000 on the application
0:25:00 > 0:25:01for his business dream.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05It's a good idea, it's got good potential.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08It just needs the field, really. That's it, now.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10Everything else is in place,
0:25:10 > 0:25:14so provided we get the field sorted out, then we can get cracking.
0:25:18 > 0:25:19Muddy trousers, everything.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22It just goes with the territory.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24As soon as a planning application is submitted,
0:25:24 > 0:25:28it is assigned to one of the council's 25 case officers.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30- Hi.- How are you doing? - Not too bad, thanks.
0:25:30 > 0:25:31Phil Davies, Cheshire West
0:25:31 > 0:25:34and Chester Borough Council's planning department.
0:25:34 > 0:25:35Just come to do a quick site visit
0:25:35 > 0:25:38- for your application for the hovercraft.- Yeah.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44What we're looking for, really,
0:25:44 > 0:25:48is to whether or not the use of this land,
0:25:48 > 0:25:50and obviously the noise that emanates from the hovercraft,
0:25:50 > 0:25:53is going to be harmful to local residents.
0:25:55 > 0:26:00It's something that everyone thinks will generate noise and nuisance,
0:26:00 > 0:26:05but to give a good judgment on it, you've got to be there
0:26:05 > 0:26:09and see it and hear it, and then perhaps make a more sound judgment.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12We have got the M56 running past here,
0:26:12 > 0:26:15which obviously is a very, very busy motorway.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19After visiting the site,
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Phil has decided to commission an independent sound survey
0:26:22 > 0:26:24to help him make his decision.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39But there's someone else who's already made up their mind
0:26:39 > 0:26:42about Paul's business idea.
0:26:44 > 0:26:49- I mean we like to see enterprise, but not on our doorstep.- No.
0:26:52 > 0:26:5466-year-old Jeffery Abnett...
0:26:54 > 0:26:56Sit down, then.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59..and neighbour Lynda Pointer live on a mobile home park
0:26:59 > 0:27:01just over the other side of the M56.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03Sit.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07They're both rescue dogs.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10She's 13, and she's 15.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13They, along with 27 of the other residents in the park,
0:27:13 > 0:27:16are determined to block Paul's dream business.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21But quad biking and hovercrafting...
0:27:21 > 0:27:25It's pollution, noise pollution.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29It's not an accepted thing on a quiet little town.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31We actually went up onto the motorway bridge,
0:27:31 > 0:27:36and you could just hear the noise of the one hovercraft that he had
0:27:36 > 0:27:39over the motorway traffic.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41And the wind was in this direction,
0:27:41 > 0:27:44so if he's got two or three hovercrafts going round,
0:27:44 > 0:27:49the noise level could escalate if the wind was coming towards us.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54I think we would be devastated if it went ahead.
0:27:54 > 0:27:58Basically, Frodsham Park Homes are saying no.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08In Gloucestershire, a multimillion pound developer
0:28:08 > 0:28:12has applied for planning permission to build 100 new homes
0:28:12 > 0:28:13on Rodborough Fields.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20This large scale application
0:28:20 > 0:28:23has been met with strong local opposition,
0:28:23 > 0:28:27but head planner Phil Skill has housing targets to meet,
0:28:27 > 0:28:30so he's taking some time out...
0:28:30 > 0:28:31That's lousy.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34..to contemplate the tough decision ahead.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37This is like asking Beckham to get it in the top right-hand corner.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42It's going to miss.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45HE LAUGHS
0:28:45 > 0:28:47It's very stressful sitting on that fence all the time
0:28:47 > 0:28:50and listening to both sides of the argument.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53You know, you've got developers on one side
0:28:53 > 0:28:55with millions of pounds at stake,
0:28:55 > 0:29:00and you've got communities where the beauty of the area
0:29:00 > 0:29:03is at stake, and those passions are very high.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13Here I just have to listen to about what somebody's latest car is,
0:29:13 > 0:29:17or who won the last football match, which I don't really care about,
0:29:17 > 0:29:20but I can have a drink...
0:29:20 > 0:29:21and relax.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23Serious face.
0:29:23 > 0:29:25Concentration.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31OK, that's not bad.
0:29:31 > 0:29:32That'll do.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41But for the lead objector, there's no time to relax.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44I'm going to put the flag pole higher.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47Give us a tie, and we'll come this side...
0:29:47 > 0:29:51As a boy, Rob Griffiths used to play in Rodborough Fields.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54He's campaigning to stop the scheme.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58I suppose the design of the flag is our town crest, OK?
0:29:58 > 0:30:01Our town crest is actually Rodborough Fields
0:30:01 > 0:30:05with the scarlet cloth that is drying on it.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08That is our Stroud badge, that is our history,
0:30:08 > 0:30:10and that's what they want to put all this housing on,
0:30:10 > 0:30:13so we might as well fill this with Monopoly housing, really.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15We'll have to change our local badge.
0:30:17 > 0:30:21Today, Rob's come to a local festival to galvanise support
0:30:21 > 0:30:25in fighting the developers and his weapon of choice is the pen.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29I'm gathering today signed letters.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31Of objection. To tell them to...
0:30:32 > 0:30:33..go away.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36So if we can stop the first bit, we'll stop the rest
0:30:36 > 0:30:38and that's what we want to do.
0:30:38 > 0:30:42Somebody's got to do something. If you don't do anything,
0:30:42 > 0:30:45these developers are just coming in, concrete our countryside.
0:30:51 > 0:30:52At Stroud Council,
0:30:52 > 0:30:56Rob hand-delivers his petition of 1,000 protest letters
0:30:56 > 0:30:58to head of planning, Phil Skill.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03- Hi, there, can I help?- Yes, I've come to see Phil Skill, please.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06- OK, not a problem. Can I get your name, please?- It's Rob Griffiths.
0:31:06 > 0:31:07OK, I'll let him know you're here.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14I'm going to throw them at him. No, no, no.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18I hope that he takes these on behalf of the local community, I hope.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20And he does something with it.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26- Afternoon.- Hi, Phil, how are you? - Fine, thank you.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29Phil, this is on behalf of Rodborough Fields Preservation Group.
0:31:29 > 0:31:30Lot of scanning, there.
0:31:30 > 0:31:32It'll be on the website in the next couple of days.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34- Thank you very much. - Nice to meet you.- Pleasure.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36- Thank you.- Bye-bye.
0:31:36 > 0:31:38But the size of Rob's petition alone
0:31:38 > 0:31:40is not enough to impress planner Phil.
0:31:41 > 0:31:45I think what the public fail to grasp in the planning system
0:31:45 > 0:31:49is it's the arguments being made that have the greatest weight.
0:31:49 > 0:31:551,000 people making the wrong argument carries no weight.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58One person proposing the right argument
0:31:58 > 0:32:00carries an awful lot of weight.
0:32:00 > 0:32:04So it's about the issues and once you've got the right issue
0:32:04 > 0:32:07then the number of people becomes a factor.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15One person who thinks he has a strong argument
0:32:15 > 0:32:19against this application is wildlife expert, Dr Colin Studholme
0:32:19 > 0:32:21from the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26The trust has lodged an objection against the scheme
0:32:26 > 0:32:28as the developer is proposing a radical solution
0:32:28 > 0:32:30to the loss of this key wildlife site.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36What they are actually proposing here is a new concept
0:32:36 > 0:32:37called biodiversity offsetting.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41What that means is they will find an alternative site
0:32:41 > 0:32:45to try and recreate wildlife habitat to compensate for this loss.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48There's no evidence that these translocations work
0:32:48 > 0:32:50so we're objecting because of that reason.
0:32:52 > 0:32:53This is a very important site
0:32:53 > 0:32:56and it should not be targeted for development.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58This has been here hundreds of years.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00This site cannot be recreated.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11In Cheshire, ex-navy pilot Paul Hanks
0:33:11 > 0:33:13wants to start his dream business
0:33:13 > 0:33:16giving hovercraft and off-road buggy experiences
0:33:16 > 0:33:20on a greenbelt marshland opposite the town of Frodsham.
0:33:24 > 0:33:2729 residents of a nearby mobile home park
0:33:27 > 0:33:29have objected to the scheme,
0:33:29 > 0:33:31as they're worried the hovercraft noise
0:33:31 > 0:33:35would travel across the M56 and into their homes.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39Planner Phil Davies is in charge of making a recommendation
0:33:39 > 0:33:40on this application.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43Yeah, I understand the residents of Frodsham have been quite concerned
0:33:43 > 0:33:46with the possible noise that will come from the buggies
0:33:46 > 0:33:48and the hovercrafts on the site.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51However, since the application's been submitted,
0:33:51 > 0:33:54a noise report assessment has been presented
0:33:54 > 0:33:57and that has advised that the noise emissions from the hovercraft
0:33:57 > 0:33:59would not carry over the M56 motorway
0:33:59 > 0:34:02towards the residential properties in Frodsham.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08So with that guidance, there's a recommendation now of approval.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13But the planners won't have the final say.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16The decision will be made by the planning committee.
0:34:16 > 0:34:18Its youngest member,
0:34:18 > 0:34:2224-year-old unemployed councillor Amy Mercer Bailey
0:34:22 > 0:34:24is looking forward to visiting the site.
0:34:24 > 0:34:26Fancy it?
0:34:26 > 0:34:29Yeah, you see them on some of these really modern programmes.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31I'm not entirely sure what they're looking for,
0:34:31 > 0:34:33whether they're going to be small hovercrafts
0:34:33 > 0:34:35or they're going to be some of the bigger things,
0:34:35 > 0:34:36but I think it's quite exciting.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39I go to the Isle of Man on a Seacat, yeah.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42I went to France on one. It was terribly noisy.
0:34:43 > 0:34:48You know, you kept spilling your gin and tonic on the way over, yeah.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50Today, the councillors are visiting
0:34:50 > 0:34:53the proposed site of Paul's dream business.
0:34:53 > 0:34:57It's not always as cut and dried as you might imagine.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00As ever, there are so many permutations and, as ever,
0:35:00 > 0:35:03I try and see it from everyone's point of view.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10First stop, the M56 bridge between Frodsham
0:35:10 > 0:35:12and the greenbelt marshland.
0:35:12 > 0:35:15Planner Claire Coombes is leading today's visit.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18There's the hovercraft.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21Usually, the councillors have to imagine
0:35:21 > 0:35:24what an application will look like from two-dimensional plans.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28Today, they can see and hear it for themselves.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31Our point, which I've always maintained,
0:35:31 > 0:35:34is that's just a wall of noise that our noise can't get through.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37It's now just relying on the councillors' ears.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40Can't hear it.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43Next up, the proposed site.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49These things are like trying to drive on jelly.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54It is definitely something that's quite exciting.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56Whether it's right for this area,
0:35:56 > 0:35:58I think is something to be determined.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02There's not many planning applications where you can actually
0:36:02 > 0:36:05put the end result on the site before you actually get started,
0:36:05 > 0:36:08so it was good for them to see it and get an idea,
0:36:08 > 0:36:10a sense of what's going to be there
0:36:10 > 0:36:11in real terms.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16I think one or two of them might have even quite liked
0:36:16 > 0:36:18to have jumped on, if I'd offered it.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23If they get it passed, then maybe they can come down.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28Paul has been trying to get his project off the ground
0:36:28 > 0:36:30for nearly two years.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32Will this attempt be successful?
0:36:42 > 0:36:46In Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, father and son team Lee and Dean Williamson
0:36:46 > 0:36:50want to improve the football pitches at their dilapidated club.
0:36:52 > 0:36:54But the Highways Agency have objected
0:36:54 > 0:36:58as their proposal requires around 50 heavy goods vehicles
0:36:58 > 0:37:00accessing the site every day for a year.
0:37:02 > 0:37:06Basically, they're concerned about two lorries
0:37:06 > 0:37:09meeting at the junction of Theobalds Lane and the A10.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14Having now had a few days to digest the objection,
0:37:14 > 0:37:17dad Lee has come up with a solution -
0:37:17 > 0:37:18GPS tracking.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23So what we're doing is monitoring the movements of the lorries,
0:37:23 > 0:37:28tracking them to ensure that we don't let a lorry out of the site
0:37:28 > 0:37:31when there's another one approaching.
0:37:31 > 0:37:35As long as we control lorry movements away from the site,
0:37:35 > 0:37:37we'll never have two lorries meeting there.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45The Highways Department have accepted Lee's idea
0:37:45 > 0:37:46to track the vehicles
0:37:46 > 0:37:49and have now recommended approval for the scheme,
0:37:49 > 0:37:53so planner Rob Webster can write his own report.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55The application has been recommended for approval
0:37:55 > 0:37:58but we'll need to go to planning committee.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01It's not had public objection but it is a very major application.
0:38:01 > 0:38:05We are satisfied as officers, but when you start talking about,
0:38:05 > 0:38:07potentially, tens of thousands of lorries,
0:38:07 > 0:38:09there's still things, which councillors
0:38:09 > 0:38:10like to cast a keen eye over,
0:38:10 > 0:38:13so you might expect there might be a bit of a debate around that.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20On site visits, it's against protocol for the applicant
0:38:20 > 0:38:22to try and lobby the committee,
0:38:22 > 0:38:25but with his £500,000 investment at stake,
0:38:25 > 0:38:27Dean is taking no chances.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31I'm not allowed to speak to the council when they come down,
0:38:31 > 0:38:35but I might just give them a wave from the office,
0:38:35 > 0:38:38so I thought I'd try and look relatively respectful.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40Respectable?
0:38:42 > 0:38:44You're going to have loads of good outtakes, aren't you?
0:38:46 > 0:38:50Broxbourne's planning committee is made up of 13 elected councillors
0:38:50 > 0:38:52from all walks of life.
0:38:52 > 0:38:53A taxi driver...
0:38:55 > 0:38:57..a former market stall holder
0:38:57 > 0:38:59and a cleaner.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01Oh, no!
0:39:04 > 0:39:06The Highways Agency are happy with Lee's plan
0:39:06 > 0:39:09to track the vehicle movements with a GPS system,
0:39:09 > 0:39:13but the committee members still need to be convinced.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15Planner Paul Cavill is leading the visit.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20What's actually being put forward by the applicant
0:39:20 > 0:39:23is a construction vehicle management plan
0:39:23 > 0:39:26and that would be done from the site office.
0:39:26 > 0:39:27Does this actually rely
0:39:27 > 0:39:29on somebody watching the screen to see the traffic?
0:39:29 > 0:39:30That is the intention?
0:39:30 > 0:39:34What happens if we get a problem so that the two lorries would meet,
0:39:34 > 0:39:37so we got lorries in here and they're waiting to go out,
0:39:37 > 0:39:39we've got lorries coming in,
0:39:39 > 0:39:41and they're coming in every ten minutes and something goes wrong?
0:39:41 > 0:39:43It could start backing up somewhere up the A10,
0:39:43 > 0:39:46so where do they actually need to go?
0:39:46 > 0:39:49They're actually going to identify lay-bys
0:39:49 > 0:39:52and they'll actually be asked to pull into the lay-by,
0:39:52 > 0:39:53or the lorry would be held here.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01The scepticism is in the human element
0:40:01 > 0:40:03that comes into these sort of things.
0:40:03 > 0:40:07While we were standing by the entrance, a coach came up the road,
0:40:07 > 0:40:10and they have no control on looking at what they're seeing
0:40:10 > 0:40:12that on their GPS monitoring.
0:40:12 > 0:40:16It needs to be looked at a little more carefully, I think.
0:40:18 > 0:40:22These councillors will meet in 48 hours to express their vote.
0:40:22 > 0:40:24Developer Dean knows that his application
0:40:24 > 0:40:27will hang in the balance until the final whistle blows.
0:40:32 > 0:40:34We've had no objections from any residents,
0:40:34 > 0:40:37in fact everyone's been in support.
0:40:37 > 0:40:42So, I can't imagine why someone would vote against it.
0:40:42 > 0:40:46I've been in planning committees where it's been recommended
0:40:46 > 0:40:49for approval and the council's voted against it.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52So, can't take anything for granted.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55The whole dream could rest on one planning committee.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10Back in Chester, the planning committee are gathering to debate
0:41:10 > 0:41:15an application to build a three storey house on an old quarry site.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21This difficult plot is in a conservation area
0:41:21 > 0:41:24and the developer has already withdrawn one application
0:41:24 > 0:41:27after the planners recommended it for refusal.
0:41:29 > 0:41:33There have been six objections from local residents to the new scheme,
0:41:33 > 0:41:36but this time Head Planner Fiona Edwards
0:41:36 > 0:41:38is recommending approval.
0:41:38 > 0:41:42I think sometimes when things are different it makes people
0:41:42 > 0:41:44question whether it's the right thing to do
0:41:44 > 0:41:46and it's going to bring a fairly significant element of change
0:41:46 > 0:41:50into that part of the village, so sometimes people are a little bit
0:41:50 > 0:41:52fearful of what they don't understand.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55We don't think there are any sound planning reasons for refusing it
0:41:55 > 0:41:57and therefore I'm hopeful that members will go with
0:41:57 > 0:41:59the officer recommendation.
0:42:01 > 0:42:05A passionate plea can be enough to sway the committee's vote,
0:42:05 > 0:42:09but Barry Littler, the scheme's strongest objector, is unwell
0:42:09 > 0:42:11and cannot attend the meeting.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13Chairman of the Parish Council Andrew Palmer
0:42:13 > 0:42:17is speaking in his place against the proposal.
0:42:17 > 0:42:21The proposed structure has been described by residents as
0:42:21 > 0:42:24"ugly, a saucepan, a grand design folly and a spaceship."
0:42:24 > 0:42:27Which is totally out of character with the village
0:42:27 > 0:42:29and the conservation status of the village.
0:42:29 > 0:42:33It would have a detrimental effect on the appearance of the village.
0:42:33 > 0:42:38And we would therefore ask the committee to refuse the application.
0:42:38 > 0:42:39Thank you.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45The applicant has decided not to attend
0:42:45 > 0:42:48and as no-one is speaking in their place,
0:42:48 > 0:42:51it's now down to the committee to debate.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54I like this house.
0:42:54 > 0:42:58I think it's a unique design
0:42:58 > 0:43:02and, ultimately, I think it would actually enhance the village.
0:43:04 > 0:43:08So, I'd like to propose approval of this planning application.
0:43:09 > 0:43:11Well, I actually disagree with that.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15I quite like the site as it is.
0:43:15 > 0:43:20It looks quite wild, it's got some lovely trees on-site.
0:43:20 > 0:43:24I think it would spoil the area. I shall be voting against it, anyway.
0:43:24 > 0:43:25OK, thank you.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31When you looked at all the houses round the area,
0:43:31 > 0:43:35they were all different - '60s, '70s, '80s, modern houses.
0:43:35 > 0:43:38So, nothing was in keeping with anything else.
0:43:38 > 0:43:43So, to have a building like this, I find it very exciting.
0:43:43 > 0:43:45I would certainly like to see it when it's finished.
0:43:45 > 0:43:48And I will second permission.
0:43:50 > 0:43:53We've moved and seconded for approval.
0:43:53 > 0:43:55So, all those in favour of approval?
0:43:59 > 0:44:01That's ten. All those against? One.
0:44:02 > 0:44:05OK, members, that's carried for approval.
0:44:07 > 0:44:11With only one vote against it, the scheme is approved.
0:44:11 > 0:44:15It is about members being able to visualise something that's on a flat
0:44:15 > 0:44:18piece of paper in two-dimensional form what that's actually
0:44:18 > 0:44:19going to be like when it's built
0:44:19 > 0:44:22and I think they've done a good job there tonight.
0:44:29 > 0:44:34The next day, Barry discovers the fate of the house in the quarry.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37'I like this house.'
0:44:37 > 0:44:39Oh, do you?
0:44:41 > 0:44:43He still doesn't know which way the councillors voted.
0:44:43 > 0:44:47'That's ten. All those against? One.'
0:44:47 > 0:44:51OK, members, that's carried for approval. Thank you.
0:44:54 > 0:44:57That's great. I'm absolutely astounded.
0:44:57 > 0:45:00Typical. Don't know about the law being an ass,
0:45:00 > 0:45:02I think the council's an ass.
0:45:02 > 0:45:03I really do.
0:45:11 > 0:45:14In Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, developers Lee and Dean Williamson
0:45:14 > 0:45:17want to treble the size of their football club grounds
0:45:17 > 0:45:21to attract other local teams and double attendance.
0:45:23 > 0:45:26Today is decision day for their planning application
0:45:26 > 0:45:28and Dean is on his own.
0:45:28 > 0:45:32Lee's, unfortunately, in hospital today.
0:45:32 > 0:45:35He...sliced his hand open
0:45:35 > 0:45:38yesterday morning quite severely.
0:45:38 > 0:45:40But he's OK, which is the main the thing.
0:45:40 > 0:45:42The fate of this planning application is the hands of
0:45:42 > 0:45:45Broxbourne Council's planning committee,
0:45:45 > 0:45:47which will meet in two hours.
0:45:47 > 0:45:49If the plans don't get the go-ahead today,
0:45:49 > 0:45:52it could be a red card for the whole project.
0:45:52 > 0:45:56It is nerve racking to think that the year and a half we've spent
0:45:56 > 0:45:58on this application, getting it right,
0:45:58 > 0:46:04all comes down to probably 30-40 minute discussion by non-industry experts
0:46:04 > 0:46:07and you get a little bit anxious just in case they say no.
0:46:08 > 0:46:12Dean's girlfriend, Anna, will be joining him at the meeting.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15Anna... I'm going to wear, like, a blue jacket.
0:46:15 > 0:46:19So, do I go for a club tie or no tie?
0:46:19 > 0:46:26- Erm...blue tie.- The old club tie, the old logo. It's a vintage tie.
0:46:26 > 0:46:30Is that better? Does that... give the impression of...
0:46:30 > 0:46:32power?
0:46:32 > 0:46:33Ready? Let's go.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50Planner Rob Webster has made a recommendation to approve
0:46:50 > 0:46:51the application.
0:46:51 > 0:46:55But that still doesn't guarantee a win for the Williamsons.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02I guess on the face of it, quite a straightforward application.
0:47:02 > 0:47:07It's someone putting some earth and soil on a site,
0:47:07 > 0:47:10but actually some of the issues it raises cos of the sheer
0:47:10 > 0:47:12quantity of soil we're talking about are quite complex,
0:47:12 > 0:47:14so could be in for a bumpy ride.
0:47:14 > 0:47:17Might sail right through, you never know.
0:47:19 > 0:47:23- Hello.- Evening. We're here for the planning committee meeting.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25With dad Lee in hospital,
0:47:25 > 0:47:28Dean's younger brother, Glen, has come along to support him.
0:47:28 > 0:47:31Whilst he's been practising his speech I've been doing me
0:47:31 > 0:47:34victory dance. Give me a D, give me an E and an A-N-O.
0:47:34 > 0:47:37So, yes, I've just been practising that all day.
0:47:40 > 0:47:43There have been no local objections to the application, but Dean
0:47:43 > 0:47:46still has a chance to convince the committee to approve the plans.
0:47:50 > 0:47:53Chairman members, as I sit here tonight,
0:47:53 > 0:47:58there's not one single objection to our application.
0:47:58 > 0:48:03I think that such strong support is testament to the good design
0:48:03 > 0:48:04of the proposals
0:48:04 > 0:48:07and to the recognition of the important role that sport
0:48:07 > 0:48:12plays in the health, wellbeing and social cohesion of the community.
0:48:12 > 0:48:15Thank you for allowing me to speak and I trust that you will support
0:48:15 > 0:48:17this very important application.
0:48:19 > 0:48:22If the application is not successful it won't just be bad
0:48:22 > 0:48:24news for the community -
0:48:24 > 0:48:28developer Lee stands to lose his £500,000 investment.
0:48:28 > 0:48:32Now, I'll throw it open to members to comment.
0:48:33 > 0:48:37The one issue I would like to be reassured on...
0:48:37 > 0:48:39is concerning the number of lorries.
0:48:41 > 0:48:4311,000 lorry movements is a concern
0:48:43 > 0:48:45and particularly in the residential area.
0:48:45 > 0:48:51Now, we're talking about 22,000 journeys by heavy goods vehicles,
0:48:51 > 0:48:55which they'll certainly be fully-laden
0:48:55 > 0:48:56when they're entering the site.
0:48:56 > 0:48:59I'm very concerned about the road surface.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06The sheer number of heavy goods vehicles accessing the site
0:49:06 > 0:49:11is clearly still an issue for the committee. But it's only half-time.
0:49:12 > 0:49:17At last we have something there to give some pleasure to the people
0:49:17 > 0:49:19around this area.
0:49:19 > 0:49:24We can have FA-approved pitches where we could, in actual fact,
0:49:24 > 0:49:26end up with a Cheshunt Academy.
0:49:26 > 0:49:29I think it's going to be a fantastic development for all
0:49:29 > 0:49:31the children of the borough,
0:49:31 > 0:49:35and I'd like to move it for approval.
0:49:35 > 0:49:38- They can do better than that. - All those in favour?
0:49:40 > 0:49:41Against?
0:49:43 > 0:49:44That is carried.
0:49:48 > 0:49:51The committee have agreed with the planners' recommendation
0:49:51 > 0:49:54and it's a win for the Williamsons.
0:49:54 > 0:49:57It's now down to Dean to relay the good news to his dad.
0:49:58 > 0:49:59MAN ON PHONE: Deano.
0:49:59 > 0:50:00Dad, how are you feeling?
0:50:00 > 0:50:02I'm good, thanks, mate, yeah.
0:50:02 > 0:50:04Yeah. Good. I've got some news.
0:50:06 > 0:50:09- Yeah?- We got through. We're in the final five.
0:50:09 > 0:50:10HE LAUGHS
0:50:10 > 0:50:11We got approval.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15You got the approval? And Wolves have just won and all.
0:50:15 > 0:50:16DAD LAUGHS
0:50:19 > 0:50:22All right, Dad, well, rest up and I'll speak to you tonight.
0:50:22 > 0:50:25- Cheers, Dad.- Thanks, mate. - Rest up.- Cheers, bud. Bye.
0:50:26 > 0:50:28- Onwards and upwards.- As promised.
0:50:30 > 0:50:31LAUGHTER
0:50:32 > 0:50:33Conference football.
0:50:40 > 0:50:42Back in Chester, another business dream
0:50:42 > 0:50:45is in the hands of the planning committee.
0:50:50 > 0:50:54Paul Hanks has invested £2,000 applying for planning permission
0:50:54 > 0:50:58to give hovercraft and buggy rides on a greenbelt marshland
0:50:58 > 0:50:59opposite the town of Frodsham.
0:51:02 > 0:51:04I have no real preconceived ideas how it will go.
0:51:04 > 0:51:05I don't begin to imagine
0:51:05 > 0:51:07what the councillors are going to come up with,
0:51:07 > 0:51:10but obviously they've listened to the report that the opponents have
0:51:10 > 0:51:14put together and read through, hopefully, what I put together
0:51:14 > 0:51:17as the business proposal for the planning application,
0:51:17 > 0:51:19so hopefully they'll take it on its merits.
0:51:20 > 0:51:2429 residents of the nearby mobile home park have objected,
0:51:24 > 0:51:26including Jeffery Abnett.
0:51:29 > 0:51:32I hope that the letter we have written with the points that
0:51:32 > 0:51:38have been highlighted are going to be enough to swing it in favour.
0:51:40 > 0:51:42Do you want one of them?
0:51:42 > 0:51:44I've been told it could be on for a long time,
0:51:44 > 0:51:47therefore we've been told to bring something with us.
0:51:47 > 0:51:48That's what we're doing.
0:51:51 > 0:51:53The planners have recommended approval for the scheme,
0:51:53 > 0:51:55but will the committee agree?
0:51:57 > 0:51:59The planning committee would see it
0:51:59 > 0:52:02from a different point of view from an officer.
0:52:02 > 0:52:06They would look at the impact upon their members of their communities.
0:52:06 > 0:52:08If they think it's going to be a detriment to them,
0:52:08 > 0:52:10they would recommend it for refusal.
0:52:14 > 0:52:16The objectors have a chance to speak
0:52:16 > 0:52:18in a bid to sway the committee in their favour.
0:52:19 > 0:52:22They have enlisted local councillor Andrew Dawson
0:52:22 > 0:52:24to make a case on their behalf.
0:52:28 > 0:52:29Thank you, Madam Chairman.
0:52:29 > 0:52:35We do have particularly vulnerable people living in the park homes.
0:52:35 > 0:52:40These are caravans. These are homes with very thin walls.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43Now, OK, they are living right next-door to the M56,
0:52:43 > 0:52:46they are particularly vulnerable, in my view,
0:52:46 > 0:52:49to noise and it is something that I think should weigh heavily
0:52:49 > 0:52:52on your mind when you're considering this particular application.
0:52:52 > 0:52:54I urge you to refuse it.
0:52:58 > 0:53:02Surprisingly, Paul has declined the chance to respond to the objections.
0:53:02 > 0:53:04It's now down to the committee to debate.
0:53:06 > 0:53:09We actually stood on the motorway bridge,
0:53:09 > 0:53:16which is a bit closer to the site than are the caravans.
0:53:17 > 0:53:22At the time, a hovercraft was running across the field there.
0:53:23 > 0:53:25I for one couldn't hear it.
0:53:25 > 0:53:29The noise was drowned out by the noise of the motorway.
0:53:31 > 0:53:34So I will be voting to approve this proposal.
0:53:37 > 0:53:39The first signs are good for Paul.
0:53:39 > 0:53:41But will the other councillors agree?
0:53:43 > 0:53:45Like Councillor Black, when I went to the site,
0:53:45 > 0:53:48I was concerned about noise.
0:53:48 > 0:53:51Not simply the volume of the noise but the nature of the noise,
0:53:51 > 0:53:55cos I'm very well aware that there are some noises
0:53:55 > 0:53:58that are very much more irritating than others.
0:54:00 > 0:54:05I was very surprised at how modest the noise really was.
0:54:08 > 0:54:13I firmly believe the noise of the traffic on the motorway will
0:54:13 > 0:54:14outweigh, certainly,
0:54:14 > 0:54:17the noise of the vehicles that are going to be used on the site.
0:54:17 > 0:54:20So I'm going to second for approval, please.
0:54:23 > 0:54:25All those in favour?
0:54:28 > 0:54:31It's a unanimous yes for Paul's dream business.
0:54:34 > 0:54:35Yeah, pleased we can get started.
0:54:35 > 0:54:38Yeah, it's a lot of work to go ahead now.
0:54:38 > 0:54:39Yeah, it's good. I'm good.
0:54:44 > 0:54:46We are annoyed. Yeah, we are very disappointed.
0:54:46 > 0:54:49But...this is the way things go.
0:54:52 > 0:54:56Now we've got to go back and tell the residents now that we've lost.
0:54:56 > 0:54:58That's going to be hard on some of them,
0:54:58 > 0:55:00but some of them couldn't care less.
0:55:11 > 0:55:15In Stroud, an application to build 100 new homes on Rodborough Fields
0:55:15 > 0:55:18has been met with strong opposition from locals
0:55:18 > 0:55:21who want to preserve its history and wildlife.
0:55:22 > 0:55:24By the time this development is finished,
0:55:24 > 0:55:28this whole side of the valley, this golden valley, will be gone.
0:55:28 > 0:55:31It will be gone for ever then. You won't be able to put it back.
0:55:31 > 0:55:33But the planners have housing targets to meet.
0:55:38 > 0:55:41Today at Stroud District Council, head of planning Phil Skill
0:55:41 > 0:55:44and his team have come to a decision
0:55:44 > 0:55:46as to what their recommendation on this scheme will be.
0:55:47 > 0:55:50We have looked at the refusal reasons for the site
0:55:50 > 0:55:52and we've come up with seven different refusal reasons.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55The ecologist's advice is that we do have a very robust
0:55:55 > 0:55:57case for the refusals that we've given.
0:55:57 > 0:55:58Good.
0:55:58 > 0:56:01'The case officer's recommendation was for refusal
0:56:01 > 0:56:04'on seven ecological grounds.'
0:56:04 > 0:56:07To be quite honest, I'm quite conflicted by the decision,
0:56:07 > 0:56:11cos on one hand I'd got 100 houses close to the town centre -
0:56:11 > 0:56:15a highly sustainable location, but on the other hand we've got
0:56:15 > 0:56:19the ecology issues to also take on board.
0:56:19 > 0:56:21So whilst I'm happy that we've made the right decision,
0:56:21 > 0:56:26the correct decision, that still leaves me trying to find a
0:56:26 > 0:56:30replacement for those hundred houses somewhere else in the district.
0:56:31 > 0:56:33The news to turn down the application
0:56:33 > 0:56:37has already reached the scheme's lead objector Rob Griffiths.
0:56:39 > 0:56:42The proposal would adversely affect Rodborough Fields
0:56:42 > 0:56:44Gloucestershire's key wildlife site
0:56:44 > 0:56:48as Rodborough Fields is of county nature conservation value.
0:56:48 > 0:56:51The proposal does not outweigh the damage to the
0:56:51 > 0:56:54structure of a key wildlife site and its ecological functions.
0:56:57 > 0:56:58The developer could appeal the decision
0:56:58 > 0:57:02or put in a new and improved application in the future.
0:57:02 > 0:57:06But for now Rob and his action group are celebrating at the local pub.
0:57:07 > 0:57:09APPLAUSE
0:57:11 > 0:57:15just to remind everybody really why we are really here.
0:57:15 > 0:57:19We were really here to defend these fields, fight for these fields.
0:57:19 > 0:57:22We feel very lucky we live in a special place like this.
0:57:22 > 0:57:25So we really thank you for all your efforts you've put in.
0:57:25 > 0:57:27OK, guys, thank you.
0:57:38 > 0:57:41It's the end of my part-ay, and, yes, winners.
0:57:44 > 0:57:46CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:57:52 > 0:57:55Next time, residents and councillors clash over a development.
0:57:55 > 0:57:57Excuse me, not another word.
0:57:57 > 0:57:59Why's that then? What are you going to do?
0:57:59 > 0:58:02You can't explain everything till the morning.
0:58:02 > 0:58:04A veteran has a plan to help heroes.
0:58:04 > 0:58:06There are men and women in foxholes shivering from the cold,
0:58:06 > 0:58:09if we can help, we must.
0:58:09 > 0:58:14And will this derelict cottage ever become one family's dream home?
0:58:14 > 0:58:17I have stood over here and done this with my hands as
0:58:17 > 0:58:20if I'm washing the dishes, cos this is where our sink's going to be.