Relief for Middle Road
The residents of Middle Road could be said to have had a difficult time in recent years.
The long-running saga of the unauthorised travellers site next to Kingsland Farm took a long time to get resolved, but the issue over the use (or misuse) of farm buildings at Grove Farm has gone on even longer.
It all started back in 1966 when the owner rented out one of the buildings for residential use after converting it without planning permission. Following enforcement action by South Norfolk Council a planning application was submitted in 2008. This was turned down early in 2009 and further enforcement action followed.
Eventually, the owner appealed to the Planning Inspectorate against the refusal to allow a change of use to residential occupation. A public enquiry was held last year and the inspector has now, at last, ruled in favour of the Council. Residential use must cease within six months.
The planning system sometimes “grinds exceeding slow”, but it gets there in the end.