France in Focus

Did you get planning, have you recently purchased a property with a pool?
Seen on mid day French news that some departments are signing up Google to sat-spy properties for non declared swimming pools.
Be aware big brother is watching.

Big brother's always has been watching around here even without google - they regularly fly over with light aircraft or helicopters spying with their beady eyes and taking photos.

Yes [mention]Char[/mention] they do here as well mainly to check up on farmers and their subventions..
They did years ago back in the Lot, our farmer neighbour and friend was told off for claiming one, showing him a photo with a different crop.
He in no uncertain words told them to get up to date as after cutting a silage crop no sub. he cultivated the field and planted maize sub.

Our pool has been visible on google earth for years. Tbh I don’t see what the problem is ,if you build /buy something that needs planning permission and you don’t have that permission then you know the chance you are taking

Pathca wrote: ↑Wed Aug 18, 2021 6:41 pm Our pool has been visible on google earth for years. Tbh I don’t see what the problem is ,if you build /buy something that needs planning permission and you don’t have that permission then you know the chance you are taking

No problem to me, I was just posting what was on F3.

I have heard they use that to see if your house has got bigger, no suprise if they are looking out for pools.
Extra taxes.

As Char said been checking for a long time, that's why you can only have pool liners in certain colours, dark ones look very nice a bit like a bottomless pool, but can be dangerous, as people have dived into them thinking that they were deep, sometimes with tragic consequences, also they cannot be seen from the air.

how does it work for swimming ponds?

Not just swimming pools being spied upon : any extras like building extensions, verandas etc so that the fisc can check you are paying your taxes

rsm wrote: ↑Thu Aug 19, 2021 3:21 pm how does it work for swimming ponds?

Good question - how does one tell the difference between a swimming pond and an ordinary pond?