We forced neighbour to demolish £500k ‘monster mansion’ – but result is even worse… I have holes in my living room wall
A NEIGHBOUR whose life was made a “living hell” by a monster mansion next door has told how she’s been left with holes in her living room wall.
Pat was infuriated after her home was left “wrecked” by her neighbours’ “nightmare” build.
DPD Driver, Gurvinda Singh and his wife Rajwinder Kaur were forced to tear their down their ‘monster mansion’ after orders issued by Walsall Council.
The couple then failed to clear the subsequent rubble and construction debris from the site, leaving neighbours fuming.
Pat, 77, told The Sun: “I was sat reading a book on my bed one time, and an RSJ (rolled steel joist) came through my bedroom wall,
“They put holes in my living room wall that I could see out of, and my chimney has been left unsafe.”
Pat, who has lived in her house for decades, added: “I’ve been left with plastic sheeting down the side of my outer wall and no proper drainage, causing rising damp.
“I couldn’t sell this home if I wanted to, it’s missing a wall on one side. This stress is the last thing I need at my age.”
Neighbour Dave Barker, 70, shared his sympathy for Pat.
He said: “She’s been put through hell. At her age, she shouldn’t have to deal with this planning chaos.”
Now, with the deadline for site clearance passed, the council is building a case for prosecution.
The colossal build, likened to a “Travelodge in the middle of a housing estate,” sparked more than 95 complaints.
Cliff Stevenson, 84, a retired mechanic living opposite the house, echoed the sentiments of neighbours Pat and Dave, branding the leftover mess an “appalling eyesore.”
He added: “The demolished house has left behind a dangerous mess that blocks the view on the corner, creating a traffic hazard. It’s been a nightmare for everyone living here.”
Ward councillor Stacie Elson confirmed that an enforcement officer visited the site after the clean-up deadline passed and took photos for legal assessment.
She said: “Mr Singh has complied with the demolition order but not with clearing the site.
“The council is taking legal advice on prosecuting him for breaching the enforcement notice.”
Residents are now hopeful for a resolution to this prolonged saga.
Mr Singh told The Sun that he had complied with the enforcement order, saying: “The house was demolished in December last year so I don’t know why I am still be in trouble.
The Punjabi-speaking home owner, who lives in a rented property believes he has been victimised and “taken advantage of” because of his nationality and poor lack of the English language.
He previously said: “It’s all been very stressful, I have spent my life savings on this house for my family and we have never even lived there.
“We feel let down by the system. It is a planning nightmare.”
Ward councillor Stacey Elson said: “The site should have been cleared up by the householder. He should have fully abided by the enforcement notice but has clearly failed to do so.
“It is Mr Singh’s land and while he has complied with the demolition order of the property he has not cleared the site of building materials and rubble within the specified time limit.
As the council’s legal team assesses the situation, the community waits for the eyesore to be cleared and for normalcy to return to their neighbourhood.
She explained her inability to “understand what has happened and why he hasn’t complied” and says “he could be prosecuted”.
She added: “I believe we could prosecute him. An enforcement notice was served. We will be putting the force back into enforcement.”
A Walsall Council spokesperson assured, “The council is monitoring the situation to ensure all actions in the enforcement notice are complied with.”
The Walsall couple claim the ordeal has cost them almost £80,000 and will now have to “borrow money from extended family” to build a third house in the same spot.
He said his wife had been left “distraught, desperate and broken” after losing their life savings during a bitter planning dispute.
He said: “I want to build a new home for my family but I have no money at this time so have not put in any planning application.”
The dad-of-two, 43, said it would be “very unfair” if the council decided to prosecute him for keeping building material on his site.
Meanwhile, Singh isn’t the only one having to fork out a large sum, one couple have been forced to spend almost £2,000 to block out their neighbour’s warehouse-looking property.
Elsewhere, not all extensions need to end in legal peril, though you could risk a ‘civil-war’ with neighbours, new planning permission laws mean you may not need planning permission to extend your house.
Planning permission on extensions
Planning permission guidance according to gov.uk
You will need to request planning permission if you wish to build something new, make a major change to your building or change the use of your building – for example starting a business.
To find out if you need planning permission you should contact your Local Planning Authority through your council.
If planning permission is refused you can appeal.
You are able to appeal if you were refused planning permission for reasons that you think go against the LPA’s development plan or planning policy (you can usually find these on their website).
You can also appeal if you were granted planning permission with conditions you object to – you’ll need to explain why you think they’re unnecessary, unenforceable, vague, unreasonable or irrelevant.
Another ground for appeal is if the LPA has not given you a decision on your application and 8 weeks have passed since the date they told you they’d received it (or a different deadline you agreed with them has passed).