12 things you can do at your mairie in France apart from get married We highlight fun and serious ways the local mairie keeps your French community running smoothly
Meet the British couple growing ‘microgreens’ for French chefs A property planning hiccup led these UK growers to turn a room in their house into a baby leaf farm
DIY car port adds beauty to retired builder’s French home We follow how a car port project went from planning permission refusal to beautifully finished labour of love
practical Do I need planning permission to build a horse shelter in France? Land issues are sensitive in rural France so it is important to know the rules if you want to keep horses and build a shelter or riding arena - there are tax implications too
French silence now means ‘non’, not ‘oui' The principle of tacit planning acceptance from authorities has been overturned in the case of mountain pasture chalets or summer buildings. Four months of silence now indicates refusal rather than approval.
Make sense of... Bâtiments de France If you live in a listed building or in an historic area, any significant changes you wish to make to your home may need authorisation from the Architectes des Bâtiments de France
Starting work with building permit We were told our permis de construire application for a workshop should be approved without problem. Can you tell us when we will be able to start work on the project? J.C.
