The application has taken three months to process and has been returned twice, despite my asking copious advice at the appropriate council department. Twice. Hooray! Now we must put a sign up for a month warning passers by that we are going to upgrade our gate! Hooray for progress!
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| Permission to renew gate, some of the many, many papers involved... |
We had to apply for permission to replace a decrepit and unappealing gate, filling in an 18 page form, with photos and simulations before and after, 5 copies. I am not even allowed to paint the wall in my garden next to my back door, where no-one can see it but me, without asking for permission 18 pages 5 copies etc... I got rather hot under the collar at this point and asked if I should make a planning application for wearing a white dress on my terrace. How they laughed.
Here are just a few of the things that the Mayor and his elected councillors want to specify about our gate:
The mini wall under the gate must not exceed 60 cm
The gate and posts must not exceed 1.80 m in height
The width of the gate opening must not exceed 3.5 m
The colour must be specified (what colour would they like?)
The gate must be totally open to view for burglars and nosy neighbours (new law, the existing gate was closed in) (no reason given for new law)
They needed to know the distance between the bars...(10 cm as it happens)
We cannot re-render the wall behind the gate without filling in another application (quickly scrubbed this project)
Builders estimate required with scale drawing of gate
One form had to be filled in N/A and signed, 6 pages, 5 copies (the trees, the trees...)
I'm so glad the Mayor and all his elected Councillors like our new gate and are so concerned with the minutia of our every day life...it makes us feel really special. I just can't understand why so many people in France change their gate any old how without even asking permission, do they know what they are missing?
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