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- Mar 11, 2013
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- South Bucks
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To cut a long story short, my small swimming pool's drain discharges into the motorway drainage ditch next to my fence line. It is only used to pump off excess water, so it does not discharge very often.
It has been like that since the pool was installed in 1976. The ditch is inspected and cleared every ten years by the Highways Agency's men - previously contractors or employees, I have no idea - so there have been two inspections since we moved in 1994. There has never been any problem with the drain.
This year, Carillion have conducted the inspection, and their merry men will be along in due course to do any necessary clearance and maintenance. Enter their rep, Prodnose I. Jobsworth, who has written to tell me that the drain is causing erosion damage to the ditch (totally untrue, and I have the pictures to prove it), and unless I have planning permission (I have no doubt I have not) their crew will remove it when they do the maintenance.
I know that in relation to planning permission for house extensions and the like, anything that has been there for twenty years is exempt. Does anyone know whether that might/would also apply in this case?
It has been like that since the pool was installed in 1976. The ditch is inspected and cleared every ten years by the Highways Agency's men - previously contractors or employees, I have no idea - so there have been two inspections since we moved in 1994. There has never been any problem with the drain.
This year, Carillion have conducted the inspection, and their merry men will be along in due course to do any necessary clearance and maintenance. Enter their rep, Prodnose I. Jobsworth, who has written to tell me that the drain is causing erosion damage to the ditch (totally untrue, and I have the pictures to prove it), and unless I have planning permission (I have no doubt I have not) their crew will remove it when they do the maintenance.
I know that in relation to planning permission for house extensions and the like, anything that has been there for twenty years is exempt. Does anyone know whether that might/would also apply in this case?