A FURIOUS resident is being forced to demolish his new summer house after neighbours complained that it looked more like a “private bar.”
Michael Bowe, 40, has left his neighbours outraged after erecting a summer house in his back garden, which he claimed was necessary for work and flexible living.
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However, locals have been left unimpressed by the company director’s new home addition, claiming the five-metre-long annex looks more like a private bar than an office space.
Mr Bowe’s fellow neighbours insist that the outbuilding is used as a drinking space that causes noise and disturbance, and claim this has a negative effect on their mental health.
Residents of Marton-in-Cleveland, near Middlesbrough, have submitted objections to the council in a bid to have the summer house removed, the MailOnline reports.
One neighbour, Debby Allan, wrote to officials: “We do not feel like the use of what this building is for is accurate.
“It appears to be a bar and when used there have been unacceptable noise levels, as there is a lot of glass that echoes from the outside which causes disturbance to us.”
When approached at his home by the MailOnline, Mr Bowe refused to comment, describing himself as a private person.
He said: “I don’t feel as if I have done anything wrong.”
However, council planners have since ordered for the annex to be demolished after refusing a retrospective planning application.
The garden building stands nearly three metres tall and was built just 20cm from the neighbouring home.
Planning permission is typically required when a building is taller than 2.5m is located within two metres of a boundary.
Ms Allan added went on to explain that it has caused great disruption, which has in turn has impacted both her’s and other neighbours mental health.
She also explained that many neighbours work shifts both through the day and night, and this disruption has forced them to stay with relatives to rest in between.
Other locals share Ms Allan’s frustration, with one submitting a complaint which claimed the annex is visible from her living room and dominates the garden.
Louise Finn claims she has experienced a loss of privacy.
She also explained that a confrontation between herself and Mr Bowe caused a huge amount of stress and anxiety.
Her complaint to the council claims that the building was erected without planning permission or any consideration of the properties involved.
She also shared Ms Allan’s complaint that the whole affair is impacting her health and well being.
The result of these complaints is that retrospective planning consent has been refused, ruling that the “significant overbearing” development affects the “quality of life and living conditions” of the neighbours.
While town hall officials did also rule that the annex was “not unattractive or of low quality in design terms”, enforcement action will now be taken.
Mr Bowe is appealing this decision, describing the refusal as without merit.
He is arguing that the summer house only marginally exceeds height limits due to its proximity to the boundary fence, but causes no harm to the neighbouring properties.
Himself and his planning consultants claim that careful consideration was taken when building the outbuilding.
They declare that the annex was designed in a low-profile and non-intrusive way”so as to not affect the neighbours.
The planning inspectorate will make a decision later this year on whether to uphold or overturn the council’s refusal.
The top five reasons neighbours squabble
One study by Compare the Market revealed the top reason British neighbour’s argue
- Broken fences – top of the board was broken fences and whose responsibility it was to fix it
- Parking: one of the leading drivers of neighbour disputes, with 54.1 per cent of people having issues with people parking in front of their house, parking bay or driveway
- Trees – complaints about a neighbour’s tree cracking your garden path was also common with nearly half of participants finding it frustrating
- Bin wars – outdoor bin etiquette continues to ignite the most furious debates between neighbours
- Nosy Neighbours – some people have their eyes and ears at the ready to have a peek causing problems for others
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