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  1. M

    Meet at Bicester 19th October for Mercs old and new.

    Gosh - my login still works! Just a quick note to thank Charles for organizing the event and taking the trouble to invite me along, and to say what a pleasure it was to see everyone and their cars. An excellent turn-out and a very enjoyable way to spend a few hours on a Sunday...
  2. M

    Anyone seen any good number plates on cars lately?

    The car was his, but not the plate - it was bought at a DVLA sale in February 2005, almost three years after Mr Entwistle's demise.
  3. M

    Millionaire's plan for mega basement hit by £825,000 affordable housing levy

    To be fair, that was a house renovation (in Chester Row, Belgravia) rather than a basement excavation. The builders had heavily overloaded a skip, and what with there being vaults underneath the road the skip was sitting on, the surface just gave way. I've got a photo of the aftermath somewhere...
  4. M

    Millionaire's plan for mega basement hit by £825,000 affordable housing levy

    The problem is that while the terms have distinct meanings, they are used interchangably. "Social housing" is 'affordable' by most due to heavily subsidised rents or part-buy/part-rent arrangements. "Affordable" housing may not actually be affordable to many, but will be relatively affordable...
  5. M

    Have you ever been pulled over by the Police?

    Very wise, given your local area's reputation for dogging - where the cars move without travelling, to paraphrase Jamiroquai...
  6. M

    Millionaire's plan for mega basement hit by £825,000 affordable housing levy

    No - social housing generally refers to houses owned by the local authority or a housing association, which are made available to people that meet strict criteria for a rent that is about a third of the market rate. There was an interesting programme on Channel 4 about local authority housing...
  7. M

    Have you ever been pulled over by the Police?

    As it happens, I was stopped for the first time in around five years just last week. The police had been driving along an A road about a mile previously, had seen me approaching from a side road. I saw them drive past and pull in a few yards along. I joined the A road, and then almost...
  8. M

    Millionaire's plan for mega basement hit by £825,000 affordable housing levy

    I suppose it comes down to the definition of "new space". This has traditionally referred to new-build housing developments, which are almost invariably undertaken on a commercial basis. I'm not aware of it having been applied to the redevelopment of an existing private residence before...
  9. M

    Have you ever been pulled over by the Police?

    That would require the skills of Evel Knievel and Eddie Kidd put together, and then some! Must have been Beaconsfield...
  10. M

    Millionaire's plan for mega basement hit by £825,000 affordable housing levy

    The reason it made the news in the first place is because this is (I understand) the first time such a levy has been applied to what is ostensibly the redevelopment of a private residence. It appears to represent a new approach by RBKC to appease residents' concerns by being able to claim that...
  11. M

    Millionaire's plan for mega basement hit by £825,000 affordable housing levy

    While some basement developments are used for extra living space, these multi-level schemes are generally used to liberate space for luxuries such as swimming pools, home cinemas, staff accommodation and underground parking. The 'living' is still done on the ground and first floors.
  12. M

    Millionaire's plan for mega basement hit by £825,000 affordable housing levy

    Months, possibly years of noise and other inconvenience to neighbours; potential impact to the water table; potential impact on surrounding properties; risk that the property itself could collapse during construction. There are many reasons to oppose basement developments. I recall there was...
  13. M

    Idiotic copper

    Because redbaron turned him down? S'pose I'll be next...
  14. M

    I'd Like To Lounge Please........

    So definitely more his than, erm, hearse... The new one looks dead fast, so be careful when burying the throttle.
  15. M

    GTG Sunday 4th August - Mercland, Nuneaton DATE NOW AGREED

    As others have said, a great day that the rain failed to ruin. Was good finally to meet people that I feel I've known for years, and to renew a few acquaintances from the PCS get-together. Also a shame that I didn't get to speak to a few others that were there (largely due to my arriving late...
  16. M

    Anyone seen any good number plates on cars lately?

    Saw a BMW 3-series with a BNZ plate today. Must still be saving up for his ideal car... Also saw 6 MJ on an small Audi SUV.
  17. M

    Anyone seen any good number plates on cars lately?

    I saw that a couple of days ago (although, unusually for me, I can't remember where - probably somewhere near Denham or Beaconsfield). Reminded me of H1 PRO, which I spotted a few weeks ago.
  18. M

    SO MANY COACHES ON ROAD WITH IRISH REG. Nos ... WHY ?

    I'm sure it's purely coincidental that they all start LTZ... (as in London Transport'z - even if the are called TfL these days).
  19. M

    Private plates - Yes or No?

    That's how it used to be - you had to renew it every year or else you lost entitlement to the plate. The recent change has been to remove the need for annual renewals.
  20. M

    Road Closures How does anyone get anywhere?

    Nobody pays RFL - there's no such thing. It's been VED for well over a decade now, and is based on emissions, so why on earth would cyclists have to pay it?! Besides, the types of roads used by cyclists are maintained by local authorities, and the costs are covered by Council Tax - which is...
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