Free Republic

Farmer hides castle from building inspectors By Peter Apps A farmer built an entire mock castle behind a screen of hay bales and lived there concealed for four years to evade planning regulations, officials said on Friday -- but it may be torn down anyway. Robert Fidler hopes to take advantage of a provision of planning law that allows buildings without planning permission to be declared legal if no objections have been made after four years But Reigate and Banstead Borough Council in Surrey is not impressed. "It does not count because the property was hidden behind hay bales," said...

Crumbling edifice of the UN By Susannah Price BBC United Nations correspondent The landmark United Nations headquarters in New York was state of the art when it was built more than 50 years ago. Impressive from the outside... Its gleaming marble and glass tower, a familiar sight overlooking the East River, is a popular tourist destination where visitors gaze at the impressive General Assembly and Security Council chambers. Behind the scenes, it is a different story. The plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling systems also date back half a century and have gone well beyond their useful life. The UN is...