The land where Albert ran his car repair business had planning permission granted about 6 years ago for houses. When the planning permission was in danger of running out (after 5 years) the owner started the work by putting in some footings. This means that, technically, the building work has started so the planning permission cannot now be lost. However the owner of the land is still awaiting a developer/builder to actually buy the land. With the housing market being what it is, and the owner not willing to drop the asking price I can see it remaining as it is for maybe another decade.
