Jim waited for his appointment at the council offices. He didn’t understand why he needed planning permission to add an extension to the house when trees enveloped the house so that no-one could see it from the track or from the surrounding fields.
“You must have a pitched roof, otherwise you are disfiguring the area,” the planning officer explained when Jim was finally called to his perspex protected video screen.
He wore a small enamel Unity badge on the lapel of his dull grey suit jacket.
“But many houses in the village have extensions with flat roofs,” Jim protested. “I’m not disfiguring anything.”
“Then there will be no building work,” the officer explained in a matter-of-fact tone. “You could appeal the decision, but I don’t think...”
“I shouldn’t have to beg for something that
