Top of the Pops
Little Green Street is now in the top five million web-sites in the world (simultaneously pathetic and jaw-dropping). We're currently ranked 4,566,665 by Alexa. Hurrah! Welcome readers! Its all about content, of course and we wouldn't be anywhere without the comedy that is the triangulation of EuroInvestments, Camden Council and now the Planning Inspectorate and their combined impact on the real lives of people who won't stand for everything that's wrong with planning in the UK today.
Full marks for chutzpah
Remember how planning permission lapsed on 23 June? Even the Inspector spotted this and wrote to the developers saying (I'm paraphrasing here) "Er, thats it, then. Bye". "Oh no it's not - we've already started work" replied the developers. "Fair enough. As you were. We'll consider your appeal" say the Planning Inspectorate, rolling over.
Er, hang on - aren't the developers expressly forbidden BY THE INSPECTORATE from digging holes, etc until Camden say it's OK? "...no work will be commenced until the Construction Methodology is approved by the local authority". Apparently not. All you have to do is ignore the rules and do it anyway. Camden's approach to enforcement continues to be limp, secretive and apparently ineffectual.
So, all you have to do to completely undermine the system is break the law and you'll get away with it. What a joke.
Gentlemen, zip up your anoraks
It must be how celebrities feel. Once you become famous, people think you're their's and think nothing of marching up to you and taking photos. Over the past few days, other than higher than normal 'vehicle movements' (mostly macho Transit drivers testing their mettle on the cobbles) we've also seen tourists taking pictures. Oh, the pretty end is nothing new, but of the site? Most conspicuous was a gentleman from Orpington who claimed to be travelling the country (on his free bus pass) photographing controversial development sites. Or perhaps he was a spy for another amateur developer...
How interesting?
In the UK, according to Alexa, this site is the 199,599th most visited. Worldwide, we're now 7,14861,081th. Wow.
