I had occasion to drive through miles and miles of unspoilt countryside this week.  For months it has felt as though the entire country was being engulfed in this current frenzy of house building.  Where there were fields and pastureland at the sides of every major trunk road around here, these have been gradually swallowed up, replaced by thousands of new houses for the masses to live in.   What confuses me is, where are all these buyers currently living – and what has happened to all the second hand homes? But as I say, this week showed that there is

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When there are plots of land coming on stream for development, these will have been noted on the County Plan drawn up over several years by the local council planning committees and it is reviewed every few years.  At once time, if an area of land was not within the marked lines on the country plan, then it wouldn’t be considered for any planning application if the landowner sold it.  These days however, these regulations have been eased in certain area, especially where brownfield sites are concerned.  These are where existing buildings are no loner useable or needed and can

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I have been taking a great deal of interest in one particular house along near me.  There has been a lot of activity since it changed hands in a rather quiet operation.  Firstly there was no obvious For Sale sign and it was only from the Sold sign that the first shoots of interest grew.  The sellers moved out shortly after the signage was put up.  Then instead of the usual removal firm bringng one or two lorry loads of furniture and effects, there was a flotilla of tradesmen arriving.  New Kitchen, bathroom, wardrobes etc etc.  It has been utterly

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