Bonce's own personal thread. Volume IX

Anyone for Pontins?

boltonbonce wrote:Anyone for Pontins?

It's like Great Yarmouth without the smackheads.

Just had mum on the phone telling me that drinking too much coffee makes you play bingo.
She's clearly seen something on telly again, but I couldn't make out what the hell she was on about.
To be on the safe side, I'm cutting down on my intake. 

I was due to be at a reception at the Royal Society of Arts tonight, but, due to travel problems I'm staying home. I could join in via an online link, but I don't think I'll bother.
Those pesky lefty unions.

Where have all the pipe smokers gone? As a lad they were a constant reminder of what my future looked like. The local bus stop was like Crewe station, as a varied bunch of old duffers headed up to the top deck in a cloud of acrid smoke.
Maybe we need a pop star to make it fashionable again.

I always liked the smell of a pipe but have always hated cigarette smoke. My Dad used to smoke Senior Service and his fingers were just yellow. Put me off ever smoking to be honest.

Norpig wrote:I always liked the smell of a pipe but have always hated cigarette smoke. My Dad used to smoke Senior Service and his fingers were just yellow. Put me off ever smoking to be honest.

First smell that hit me whenever I got through the turnstile at Burnden as a kid was pipe smoke. Always brings back those memories when I smell it.

boltonbonce wrote:
First smell that hit me whenever I got through the turnstile at Burnden as a kid was pipe smoke. Always brings back those memories when I smell it.

Aye that and horse liniment when the teams came out.

Ten Bobsworth wrote:
Aye that and horse liniment when the teams came out.

That St. Bruno TV ad always made me laugh. Why women would want to get close to a bloke smoking a pipe always puzzled me. If my grandad was anything to go by, he'd have stunk to high heaven.

Absolutely phenomenal scenes from Medway Council, who are set to refuse a planning application from Medway Council to install solar panels on the offices of Medway Council. pic.twitter.com/hRXbsxlSGY

— Ed Jennings (@Ed_Jennings) June 21, 2022

Something is going on there!

What would normally happen is that someone wants to do something, in this case the solar panels, enquires with the council about it and are advised by the Planning Officers before putting in an application for approval.

My guess is that a Councillor has come up with the idea, the council's Planning Officer has told them the council building is listed so they would have to turn the idea down.

However most planning applications are dealt with by delegated powers - meaning uncontested applications approved/rejected by the Planning Officers will not require going to the full Planning Committee.

This application would fall under delegated powers BUT has been contested by a Councillor, so will go before the Planning Committee to be voted upon - and which the officers recommendation to REFUSE can be overturned.

I think probably everyone involved wants the solar panels but the officers are compelled to reject it under the planning rules they are required to work to.

If the Councillor who is pushing for this an is part of the majority political party in control at that council, then no doubt the officers recommendation will be overruled and the application granted.

I guess a member of the public could appeal to an higher authority for the decision to be called in and be examined by the Government Planning Inspectorate but I doubt it will get that far, and from what I could see from a picture of the Council Offices, I don't think the panel's would really be an eye sore anyway.

I just thought it was funny the council refusing its own application in respect of its own building!

I doubt it really would have got as far as that stage if they really didn't intend to install the panels.

Isn't politics wonderful.

I can understand why it was refused as I've run events at Chatham Docks and it's a historical site which the locals are very proud of.  Buckingham Palace wouldn't have the same cache if it had solar panels on the roof and I guess they feel the same way about it. Sounds like political infighting.

wanderlust wrote:I can understand why it was refused as I've run events at Chatham Docks and it's a historical site which the locals are very proud of.  Buckingham Palace wouldn't have the same cache if it had solar panels on the roof and I guess they feel the same way about it. Sounds like political infighting.

No, nothing to do with the Docks, it had to be automatically refused because apparently the Council Offices are a Grade II, Listed Building and subject to a prescribed constraints on what can be done to it.

Nothing political at all in the refusal, that being the case.

I suspect there is a view the the panels could be erected without having any visible impact on the building (maybe for instance on the roof/s facing away from public view perhaps?) as I simply can't believe the Council consulted itself BEFORE submitting a planning application KNOWING the council itself would have to recommend a REFUSAL!

I can only imagine that they KNOW the officers recommendation will be rejected at the Planning Committee stage and that if the decision is called in that the same planning officers who recommended REFUSAL would have to defend the now APPROVAL at a government planning inquiry to rule on it.

It can only make sense to me that the Planning Officers already have a scheme to site the panels that would be deemed acceptable to the government Planning Inspector who will determine the outcome (if it did get to that stage) but had to REJECT the application in the first instant because on the face of it solar panels are not allowed on Grade II, Listed Buildings, normally.

Crikey!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-61894186

boltonbonce wrote:Crikey!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-61894186

I'll never breast feed again after reading that.

I've just tried to watch GB News. It's horrendous. The presenter was a sort of Poundland Tucker Carlson.

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Some people are never satisfied.
Another beautiful day, the sun beating down, and my brother, who is spending a relaxing week in Llandudno with his wife, has just texted me, complaining that the local Betfred are only paying double the odds for one winner on Lucky 15's, and not the treble the odds advertised on his betting slip.
What a complete arse. He'd better bring me some rock back.

Wonder what they wanted the stump for?