Ok. I've lived in England all my life. Let's highlight a few facts: * Planning laws in the UK exist largely to protect the countryside from being over-develope

Ok. I've lived in England all my life. Let's highlight a few facts: * Planning laws in the UK exist largely to protect the countryside from being over-developed by often powerful building firms. * Surrey (the county where this man built is castle), being directly south of London, is one of the most difficult and expensive areas to buy (or build) property. * The English countryside is under threat, especially in the south-east of the country where urban growth is a constant threat to communities. * Planning laws are well known and understood here. This man tried to circumvent them at every opportunity, for his own benefit, and got caught out. Big time. You can argue that this is only one little castle, or that it shouldn't apply to individuals, or whatever, but the fact is that the laws exist and (generally) do a good job at making sure that the beautiful countryside doesn't turn into an over-developed shit-hole. I understand the reasons these laws exist. There's no reason at all to call them out for being either over-bureaucratic, or an example of the over-arching state. They exist for a reason, basically the good of the wider community, and this guy tried to circumvent them for his own selfish (presumably financial) benefit. I've absolutely no sympathy for him at all.