A £3 million house in Hove is up for sale but any buyer may face a legal battle with the council.
Brighton and Hove City Council has issued an enforcement notice after declaring that the newly built house flouts the conditions of its planning permission.
According to the council, its planning officers advised the developer to build it in keeping with the approved plans.
But, the council said, the developer didn’t listen despite repeated attempts to negotiate a solution.
The enforcement notice requires Tim and Lucy Harding to carry out work at 21a Lloyd Road in Hove that will
- apply cladding in accordance with planning permission for the property
- lay solar panels flat on the roof to match the submitted plans
Councillor Lynda Hyde, chairman of Brighton and Hove’s planning committee, said: “This action shows that the planning enforcement team will take formal action when it is appropriate to do so.
“Planning permission is granted after consideration of how the development may affect its surroundings so it’s important to stick to what is agreed.
“In this case the timber cladding is considered essential to provide visual relief to the expansive rendered elevations and the failure to do so is considered harmful to the visual amenity of the wider area.
“With regards to the current positioning of the solar panels they cause an unacceptable degree of reflective glare into the rear of the neighbouring property.
“I know that officers have worked hard to resolve this matter without having to issue this formal notice but they were left with no choice due to the reluctance of the developer to carry out the necessary work.
“As ever I would encourage residents and developers to seek planning approval before making changes to approved schemes.
“Our action will also benefit potential purchasers of the property as they will be aware of the council’s actions from the outset.”
Interesting that a planning application can go so wrong on a new home, though perhaps it looks like the Hove planning committe are stepping up their game..