High rise

High-rise tower blocks are seen as quite normal, however high and however they dominate their immediate surroundings. Nobody thinks twice about all the skyscrapers in New York or London.
 
But should they be seen as normal or as something a bit unnatural, something that should be challenged rather than accepted?
 
Mick Jagger and a bunch of other celebs have won their battle to prevent a 29-storey high-rise near Battersea Bridge in London. After fighting the proposal for two years, it has been rejected by a government planning inspector.
 
The inspector ruled that the tower block would be detrimental to the appearance of the area, being taller and bulkier than other existing buildings.
 
I’ve always taken tower blocks for granted myself, but on reflection there are several things wrong with them. They block views from nearby buildings, children have no yard or garden to play in, they need lifts which often break down, and they need elaborate fire control measures to prevent another towering inferno like Grenfell Tower, London, in 2017.
 
Of course the main reason why developers build tower blocks is because they’re highly profitable. They’re not scenic, they’re not interesting architecture, if truth be told they’re actually rather ugly.

PS: I've said before that I wouldn't live anywhere higher than a third floor. Any higher than that and I'd always be worried about a possible disaster and not being able to get out of the building.

Tell me more

I've said before that I don't like the uncertainty about my future. I want to know what's coming down the line so I can prepare for it.

I know a lot of people (such as Jenny) like that uncertainty about the future and don't want to know about it in advance. They want to be constantly surprised by events, they find that exciting rather than frustrating.

But I want to know what's in store. I have lots of unanswered questions. How long will I live? How much money will I need? How healthy will I be? Who will die first, me or Jenny? What shape will the public services be in? What sort of government will we have?

I would feel a lot more secure and confident if I knew what's lined up for me. I could plan my life a bit better, allow for disasters or triumphs, create a smoother path for myself. I wouldn't be suddenly overwhelmed by some unexpected catastrophe and be left floundering.

It's curious that I'm so bothered by uncertainty this late in life, when my future is relatively short. When I was young and my future stretched ahead of me for endless decades, the much greater uncertainty didn't faze me at all. I just sailed along blithely, unheeding of what the next day would bring.

For me, this walking into the unknown is quite disconcerting. It makes the rest of my life too nebulous, too hazy.

Just suck it up

How would you feel if all of a sudden a giant warehouse was being built behind your home and you knew nothing about it because the local council had consulted the residents of the wrong road?

That's what's happening to householders in Hooke Close, Corby, Northamptonshire, after the council mistakenly consulted residents of Hubble Road. The council didn't think it fishy that nobody had raised any objections, and the planning application was duly approved.

What adds insult to injury is that the council refuses to accept any blame and presumably won't give the aggrieved residents any compensation.

They maintain that as there was a planning notice on the site, and as there was a notice in the local press, they've done their legal duty and nothing more needs to be done. But it seems none of the residents saw either notice.

Council leader Jason Smithers' reaction was pathetic. He said he understood the residents' frustration, he apologised for the error, and he pledged that he council would do all it could to ensure a similar issue didn't happen again.

That's okay then. The residents just have to suck it up because the council washes its hands of any responsibility. In other words, fuck you.

Never mind that the price of houses in Hooke Close will plummet because nobody wants a stonking great warehouse behind their back garden. Never mind that there will be heavy lorries rumbling in and out all day. Never mind that the building work is shaking people's houses.

As long as Mr Smithers has "apologised for the error", everything's just fine.