When I was Head of Planning at Sedgemoor Council I took a call from an irate lady. The farmer down the lane was burying his wife on his land at the end of the lane – with a JCB. Surely this was not permitted? I believed this was OK but promised to check. Sure enough he was entirely within his rights, not needing any planning permission or other legal consent in that location. The caller was rather aghast to get this information – it just didn’t seem right! I was never clear if the concern was religious, proprietorial or environmental – or simply the use of the JCB! I got a lot of strange calls when I was working there – maybe normal for the levels – and with colleagues not prepared to take them.
