Left out in the cold (From Stroud News and Journal)

Left out in the cold

A FAMILY who are living through this winter's sub zero temperatures in a house with no front have blamed bungling bureaucrats for giving them the cold shoulder.

Gerald and Cynthia Prout from Brookthorpe have found themselves caught up in a sea of planning red tape ever since they began trying to restore their 18th century farmhouse in July 2000.

Now the phrase 'open plan living' has taken on a new meaning for the couple and their teenage son Jeremy who spent Christmas squeezed into the only habitable rooms at the rear of the property.

The front came off the house last summer after Stroud District Council said it wanted to inspect the timbers.

"They then came out in September to assess the timber frame," said Mr Prout.

But he added: "When they got here they said I'd taken off too much and stormed off."

And that is how the house has remained. The Prouts have found themselves hanging in limbo unable to finish the work while they wait for building conservation experts to approve their plans.

For more on this story and more, see this week's Stroud News & Journal