'Unauthorised' Walsall house finally demolished - but neighbour's nightmare isn't over
A house which was built without proper planning permission has finally been demolished, but the five-year nightmare isn't completely over for neighbours.
After plans for a small extension to the original house were approved, the building in Walstead Road, Walsall, just kept getting bigger and bigger.
The front of the house has been an eyesore for the past two years, with debris and materials scattered across the front of the property.
Now, the building has been completely ripped down after Walsall Council promised to intervene if it was not removed.
One neighbour told the Express & Star that the damages caused have cost her between £4,000 and £5,000 to repair.
Jo Perry, 51, lives next door to the property with her husband and daughter and has been plagued with issues for nearly six years.
She said: "It has been built and knocked down several times.
"It had to be knocked it down because it didn’t adhere to planning permission. It took us two years to get the council to give a demolition notice.
"The whole ordeal has been a complete and utter nightmare, it has cost us £4,000 and £5,000 in repairs over the time."
At one point, Jo said builders knocked through the wall of her living room, with the repair work completed visible in pictures taken during the demolition.
Jo added: "It is a different contractor which has knocked it down this time.
"A lot of the time they have been working while we haven't been here.
"But they have at least taken the rubbish away this time, so this group are better than before.
"At the moment, our chimney is propped up by a bracket because they have taken theirs down, which was propping ours up.
"Our rendering has been damaged, so who will pay for that this time?
"I don’t see why we should have to pay it."
The last time work was carried out on the house, Jo's bedroom flooded during a storm, something she is worried may happen again.
"We won't know until we get rain whether our roof is damaged from the work or not.
"We have considered leaving, but I wouldn’t buy my house, why would you?"
Speaking when the demolition started, Walsall Council leader, Councillor Mike Bird, told the Express & Star that the demolition should serve as warning to those who "think they can build what they want".
Councillor Bird, said: "This is the first time since I have been a councillor that we have intervened in this way.
"This sends a strong message to anyone who wants to flout planning permission.
"It will be the first of many where we take direct action against people who build something outside the permission they have.
"Anyone who doesn’t build within the permission they have will feel full force of planning enforcement including the support of the courts if needed.
Images from Google Maps in 2014 show the house, prior to its expansion, with a light coloured exterior and small garage to the right of the property.
Following the development, the garage was no longer there, with the home turned from a semi-detached property to a terraced house.
Neighbours from the opposite side of the land to Jo have also experienced issues, claiming workers walked on and damaged their roof, resulting in a leak and causing damp in the upstairs room.
A statement from Walsall Council added: "It is essential that the appropriate planning permission has been obtained before works are carried out, including any changes from an issued planning permission to make sure that the works are acceptable.
"Failure to do so will result in investigation by the Council’s Planning Enforcement Team and, as demonstrated in this particular case on Walstead Road, may even lead to the demolition of structures and buildings."
What will happen to the plot of land, and whether the owner will apply for further planning permission, is currently unknown.
