Leeds City Council has ordered the demolition of a new house despite the owners having full planning permission.
The three-bedroom detached house in Oakwood was almost three-quarters complete when the council ordered its demolition because it had been built “in the wrong place and bigger than approved”.
Work began on the property in September 2007 after planning permission had been granted earlier that year. However residents organised a petition against the property when they saw it rise to three feet above other properties in the street and almost touch the gutters of the house next door.
Work on the site stopped and the local authority ordered its demolition which took place following Darren and Shirley Sheridan, the owner-developers losing an appeal last year. A planning inspector’s report said the original designs had shown the property to be in alignment with neighbouring houses yet it was built “significantly” taller. It also said that the gap between the houses on either side had been misrepresented.
The problems have left the Sheridans with a huge bill. They have already paid £100,000 for the original build and another £10,000 for its demolition. A rebuild is likely to be in the region of £75,000 and other costs such as legal and appeal fees are likely to mean that they will have paid £200,000 by the time the new house is completed.
The Sheridan’s are planning to sue MAS Design Consultants for providing “flawed” architectural drawings.