The man who built a two -storey house in his driveway: how family waged war with the council about illegal house … But three years later who won who won?
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It was a brutal movement by a homeowner who left for years of feud with Birmingham Council.
Mr M Singh was instructed to break down a building in his driveway after he had built a two -storey house instead of what was meant as a modest garage.
The bosses of the council were shocked to discover the family, which originally received approval for a one-floor garage in their semi-detached ownership in Highgate, Birmingham, had built a small house instead.
When MailOnline visited the property in October 2022, the homeowner had lost an appeal to the enforcement action, but the structure – including a large dormer window – was still intact.
But three years later, the building, although it remains, looks very different.
Discussions between Mr. Singh and the Council led both parties to accept adjustments that looked garage-like while they kept the front door.
The front door to the mini-property has now been replaced by a traditional garage door and the large dormer window on the side is torn.
The row has left the locals in the disadvantaged area of Birmingham that scratches their heads.
A small house was built on a driveway instead of a garage, causing the bosses to shock in Birmingham. It is shown what the two -storey house looked like earlier
Planning application was originally granted in 2009 for a one -floor garage in the driveway. But instead, a real estate with two floors was built
The original plans that were presented to the Birmingham city council seemed to show that a traditional garage was being built
Many felt sympathy for the homeowners who had submitted a petition for the locals to sign the hope to keep their small house in the driveway.
Habib, 19, a student, said: ‘I remember that I passed this on my way to school when they were building it.
‘They put a lot of elbow fat in it. They worked from eight to five every day.
“It didn’t affect anyone or blocked someone’s look at something. It was neat. I would smoke if I were them. ‘
But despite collecting dozens of signatures, the Singh family, whose property it is, was forced to change the structure considerably.
Nessa Baharun, who can see the building from her backyard, said: ‘Sometimes the council is just a bit exaggerated.
“Nobody has ruined their opinion. If anyone were hit, this would be this house and next door, but it doesn’t bother us.
“It’s just in the corner. I feel sorry for them. They must have lost a lot of money.
“I have seen them remove furniture there, so I think they just use it for storage.”
The locals said that the change from home to garage took place more than two years ago.
A mechanic who works on Vaughton Street, a collection of modern semi-detached houses with a small piece of grass and factory units, said: ‘I don’t know what it is today. You couldn’t drive a car in it, you would betray your tires.
“And it’s absolutely not a house. It’s nothing. ‘
Other locals doubted the priorities of the council.
Neighbor Kemal, a businessman in his sixties, said: ‘It looks a bit weird now. It was more logical and it had no influence on someone because it had stopped in the corner of the drive.
‘This area has many problems and that building is not one of them.
Images show what the ‘garage’ looks like now, replacing the front door with a traditional garage door
The large dormer window on the side of the building has now also been removed
Inspector Thomas Shields, appointed by the State Secretary, wrote in his planning report in March 2022: ‘It is considerably larger than the approved building. It is not a small difference. ‘
A Google Streetview image of the property in 2009 before the request to build the garage was made
A street view with the structure when it was built as a small house
‘Drug use is widespread. The area is covered with these upper whip buses that are a kind of medicine.
‘We have a primary school on the road and children have to go over waste and drug items on their way to school.
“There is one piece of grass that is all littered and the council is worried about a neatly small building.”
Shabana Mubarik, a teacher at the nearby Chandos Primary School, said: ‘This is a very disadvantaged area. Staff must regularly pick up buses that are everywhere to protect the children.
‘So I don’t care about this small building. I think it was a jealous neighbor who complained. You don’t know.
‘It makes sense for me to use the space you have and their driveway gives them that space. I don’t know why someone would have a problem with it. ‘
And Kyah Rosser, 18, from walking her dog, added: ‘I lived here all my life and I think the council should certainly have allow them to keep what they had done.
“It’s their country. It makes no difference to anyone. ‘
The Singh family initially submitted their plans for a garage in their spacious driveway in 2009.
The Singh family initially submitted their plans for a garage in their spacious driveway in 2009
The ‘garage’ is on the ride of their semi-detached house in Rundown Highgate
The building still has a second floor with a window at the front of the structure
But it was only in the aftermath of Covid that they started their build.
Birmingham planners said that the end result differed considerably from what had been agreed and that the family had an appeal to the order to break it down.
Most locals remembered that Mrs. Singh went through the area with a petition that neighbors asked to support them.
Geoff, a 60-year-old, said: ‘I signed to support them, but they misled the government so that they would always get into trouble.
‘You can’t say that you want a garage and build a house, even if it makes no difference. The rules are the rules. ‘
But Kerry, a 30-year-old mother at the school run, said: ‘I do feel sorry for them. They had a plan to improve their lives, spent a lot of money and now they can’t use it because of the intended goal.
‘It does not block a picturesque display. There is not much to watch here. ‘
The Singh family, whose ownership it is, did not want to comment and said that the issue was now closed.
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