Planning application

[Puggit]

We want to convert our loft by adding 2 Velux windows, one on each side of the roof. Visited the Mairie and was given a ream of paper to fill out.

9 pages, most of it completely useless to us, to look at, translate and mostly not fill in.

Then they want 6 copies of the proposal and plans etc...

I love French Bureaucracy!!

Anyone with horror stories?

[chateaucharly]

Welcome to my world!! So many stories like that. Just be grateful you dont have to run a business out here.
The latest one is we are trying to install a pool at the minute but have been waiting for 3 months for paper work to be passed around every known authority and organisation in France for approval and signatures.
We also have to wait two months for any objections.

Dont you just love the efficiency of French systems!!!

[Puggit]

On the plus side for the French...

On Christmas Eve we visited Darty in Tours to buy a washing machine, not in stock. So they offered free delivery the following Friday.

Somehow they found our house in the middle of nowhere without directions, brought the machine in, plumbed it, wired it, tested it and showed me how it worked. All because it wasn't in stock.

Something to be said for unions causing over-employment

[Thom]

Darty are mostly pretty good.

[D_I_A_B_L_O]

What kind of areas are your houses ?? My parents and mine are in a tiny little hamlet and planning is a unheard of !! All the french guys dont bother either. I expect this is kind of the norm in the middle of nowhere though ??

[Puggit]

I wouldn't call Marcon the centre of the universe - but everything is pretty much by the book (don't the French love redtape!).

In the end we didn't get word back, so after a month were able to carry on. We're supposed to put signs up on the road telling all and sundry about what we have done - and then can get retrospective complaints - so we skipped that bit!

Edited to add multimap link

Edited by Puggit on Thursday 28th February 23:15