In case you missed it…Arts Centre demolished for being 75cm out……careful what you leave out when the estate agents come round……Mr Blobby paint job

Arts Centre Debacle

In a tail of woe courtesy of the planning department at St Neots, Cambridgeshire, we can report on an £8m cinema and leisure complex residents reportedly campaigned tirelessly for 10 years to get built. Just 6 months into the project, it is to be demolished and rebuilt just 75cm further across.

The error was on the part of the lead design contractor who did not fully consider stringent planning restrictions and mistakenly sited the building too close to neighbouring properties. Those neighbours noticed the error and, despite an application for retrospective planning permission with ‘minor amendments’, construction has halted and demolition begun.

Wide Lenses and Dodgy Statues

At first glance, the typical slideshow of photos for a 4 bed detached house in Sale, Cheshire listed on Rightmove.co.uk reveals nothing remarkable. The property is well presented, as you would expect, the garden is neat, the paint barely dry but, in the master bedroom, a rather cheeky surprise is awaiting. Captured forever in the throws of passion, a grey statue stands (or rather kneels) watch over the room: a pair of lovers intertwined (rather exotically) in perpetuity – or at least until a new owner is found.

Have a look, if you dare, here.

The news comes as Rightmove reports on the highest average asking prices ever seen by the site, with £250,000 asked on average, and more than £500,000 in London.

Beware of Holiday Pranksters

When Steve O’Rourke pranked his brother by building a 4ft high wall across his driveway whilst he was away honeymooning in Barbados, he probably expected some form of reprisal. What he likely didn’t expect was returning from his own honeymoon in Rhodes to find his house in Southend, Essex, had been painted bright pink with white spots in the style of Mr Blobby.

Despite the fairly alarming colour change, Mr O’Rourke sees the funny side of the prank and reportedly has no plans to change the colour scheme. His wife Hayley commented:

“It’s making a lot of people smile, but it’s also causing a few near pile-ups on the road, with people stopping and staring.

“It’s very extreme – you forget about it when you’re in the house but then when you step outside you realise how bright pink it is.”

The prank saga goes on, as older brother Dave plans to get married next year and the two brothers have laid plans for an even bigger prank. Watch this space.

 

28/05/2013                                                                                                         SRJ/LCB

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