Bad Neighbours

Who’d want a load of frat brothers moving in next door? No one, of course, but it is a great excuse to blow a few million and entertain the masses. The movie is a tad trashy and tedious, so gets pretty lacklustre reviews, presumably as its so full of frat humour, which is only funny if you are one. Though I am sure one or more of the stars will move on to greater things. ¹

But take a walk down your High Street and  count the number of bad neighbours. Huh? How would I know? Well it is easier than you think. They don’t have to be verbally abusing you, self medicating in your stairwell, allowing their yappy dogs to shit or piss all over the pavement, partying into the small hours, or filling your recycling bins with flammable objects just for a laugh.

No they advertise their bad neighbourliness by displaying a Sky Satellite Dish in your Conservation Area. They may even affix it your wall. Crass, yes. Illegal, yes. But because it makes little noise and ruins only the amenity of a few in the middle upper classes, it must be a legitimate game. ELC stands by seemingly powerless as they can’t actually remove them, only order you to, and that’s not worthwhile enforcing.

So traders please stop complaining about not enough car parking, while the very reasons that people might visit your town decline. Not much further to go before we hit the bottom guys.

Home owners, get a grip. Every dish knocks at £10k off the value of your property because of a bad neighbour effect. Now maybe you will you take notice? Landlords take note.

And Sky Satellite please stop aiding and abetting flagrant abuses of the law and take responsibility. In a Conservation Area you should have a protocol which states that unless the householder has permission from the Council, you cannot install the dish. Moreover, if there is an article 4 Direction, permission is needed for the rear of properties.  You should train your staff to understand the law – it is not that hard. Your installers around here clearly have no idea, arguing a) that the street is full of them, so why shouldn’t they and b) that putting a dish of the side of the building is legal, it’s only the front that is protected.

Like I said, they’ll stick it on any wall without the owner’s permission. FFS!