Demolish it, family are told
Feb 3, 2006
© Express & Star Ltd, 1997-2006
A family from Great Barr face losing their home after council planners in
Walsall told them they have to remove their loft conversion.
The cost of removing the conversion, which cost £35,000, will land the
Taylor family with a further bill of more than £20,000.
The Taylors from Tynedale Crescent had the conversion done two years ago to
help mum Marie cope with disability caused by hidradenitis, which meant
having several glands removed.
The family claim they were told by their architect that he would secure the
necessary planning permission.
But designer Simon Smith said he had been informed by Walsall Council that
there was no need for the authority's approval.
Now the Taylors have been told an enforcement notice from Walsall Council is
on its way ordering them to remove the loft conversion.
The family have cashed in an endowment policy to pay solicitors' fees to
appeal to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, and will do
so as soon as the notice arrives.
Mr Smith, who is not a registered architect but offers architectural
services, was recommended to the Taylors by builders hired to carry out the
conversion, who have since ceased trading.
The order is a harsh blow to Mrs Taylor , aged 42, who suffers from mobility
problems. She sleeps in the conversion which has an en suite bathroom.
She used to work for Birmingham City Council but took early retirement when
her condition worsened.
The family is now pinning their hopes on the appeal, hoping an inspector
will allow them to keep the conversion. If their appeal fails they will have
to remove the conversion away, which will cost between £20,000 and £25,000.
Mrs Taylor said: "My husband's is the only salary we have coming in and we
have no savings, so if we lose our appeal we shall have to sell the house to
a builder at a knock down rate so he can remove the loft. It would leave us
homeless."
She added: "The first we knew that anything was wrong was when a Walsall
Council official came and took pictures of the house a few months ago.
"We then had to go to a development control meeting in December and we were
laughed out of the chamber. Councillors said they thought it was the most
hideous thing they'd ever seen - a carbuncle.
"But we only ever had one concern raised about it by a neighbour."
Marie and her husband, telecommunications company supervisor Adrian, aged
42, have lived at the house for 16 years and have two children.
Designer Mr Smith, of Pennyhill Lane, West Bromwich, said he had been in
regular correspondence with Walsall Council over the planning issue and
explained that at first he had been told that there was no need for planning
permission.
He said: "Now they have said it does, so it is an ongoing saga. We attended
meetings where they said it would be OK to go ahead and other times it was
not and at one point I was told verbally it could go ahead as permitted
development."
A Walsall Council spokeswoman said: "Unfortunately planning approval was not
obtained for the roof extension and loft conversion before the work was
carried out.
"In July last year retrospective planning permission was refused, and
following discussions with the owners and their representative, an
enforcement report was considered in December. An enforcement notice to
require removal of the development is now being drafted. When it is served
there will be a right of appeal.
"We always urge anyone thinking of extending or altering the outside of
their home to check with the planning department directly to see if they
require planning permission before carrying the work out."