Ernie Clark. Hilperton Division, Wiltshire Council.

Incredible as it sounds, this is true!

Wiltshire Council's planning department has come up with a new job creation scheme.

In a last ditch attempt to secure planning permission for more houses on Paxcroft Mead (see yesterday's web post) the planning department at Bradley Road inserted a condition stating that the new residents of the Hackett Place houses must use their garages only for the garaging of cars.

Whilst this might seem sensible (to try and stop on-street parking) there are two problems that I can see. Firstly it doesn't seem to meet the various tests that planning conditions have to meet (be fair, reasonable etc.) Secondly, how is it ever going to be enforced? Are we to have a crack team of enforcement officers prowling Paxcroft Mead banging on doors at midnight and demanding to see what is in the garage?

I often have my doubts about the planning process, but WC seems to have stepped into a surreal universe this time.