Building could be torn down in planning farce
A BACK garden storage building – described as being more like a bungalow – has been condemned by Solihull planners and could now face demolition.
Councillors said the sturdy structure to the rear of Longmore Nursing Home, in Longmore Road, Shirley, would leave elderly residents at a neighbouring care facility staring at a brick wall.
And they condemned the failure to follow the proper planning process for what had been described as a storage shed.
At a planning meeting, all nine members voted to refuse permission for the retention and extension of the L-shaped building.
This opens the door for the applicant being ordered to pull down what has been built, with Solihull Council asked to confirm the next steps in terms of enforcement action.
The local authority’s own planning department had actually advised approval, arguing the building would not cause “undue harm to the character and appearance of the area.”
But this was fiercely rejected by the councillors themselves.
Councillor Richard Holt, chair of the planning committee, said: “It is not a storage shed, we are not going to be taken for being mugs in Solihull, clearly it’s a bungalow.”
Councillor Jim Ryan (Con, Bickenhill) had said features visible in the photos – including cavity wall insulation and bricks to help with dampproofing – called into question the intended use of the building.
“That’s quite expensive, that type of brickwork, for a shed,” he said.
Councillor Diana Holl-Allen (Con, Knowle) was also unimpressed, describing the development as “inappropriate full-stop”.
She said: “They’ve taken Michael out of us haven’t they?”
Planning officers had said that work had been carried out to extend an existing outbuilding in the grounds - which had itself been built without planning permission.
The council said it had tried to encourage an application for the original scheme but had chosen not to pursue enforcement action, as it was not deemed to have a significant impact.
However, work later started expand the single-storey building.
Case officer Jon Hallam told the meeting that work on the enlarged structure was “substantially complete”, so the application was partially retrospective.
the
to