Walsall owner told to tear down 'unacceptable' new home

Permission had been given to extend the house but instead it was demolished and work began on a new one, councillors heard

A homeowner who started building a large new house without permission to replace his smaller semi-detached property has been told to demolish it.

Councillors ordered Gurwinder Singh to take down the partly-finished four-bedroom house in Walsall, West Mids.

They heard the new-build was unacceptable in size and scale and had caused hardship to neighbours.

Mr Singh's agents had claimed the finished home would make a positive impact in the area.

Permission had been granted for an extension to the house on the corner of Sandringham Avenue and Arundel Road, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

But councillors at Thursday's planning meeting heard the applicant instead demolished the original property and starting building a new one in 2021.

Enforcement officers at Walsall council said it was unacceptable in terms of size and scale and senior officer Frank Whiteley said altering the existing structure would "prolong the disruption".

"There is no immediate prospect of an acceptable solution being found and on these terms, demolition is considered proportionate and reasonable," he added.

The planning meeting was told work on the new build had caused hardship to neighbours

Ward councillor Stacie Elson said the episode had caused "distress in the community".

A retrospective application had been submitted and drew objections from neighbours and a 95-signature petition.

It has since been withdrawn and Mr Singh submitted a fresh application in the past fortnight, which is awaiting mining reports before it can be validated.

Committee chairman Mike Bird said he was "sick and tired" of people breaching regulations and "adjoining neighbours have suffered hell".

The new building is "way beyond the scope" of what was agreed, Councillor Adam Hicken said, and "the impact it has had on neighbours has been terrible".

The committee voted unanimously in favour of supporting enforcement to demolish the property.