Five houses face demolition for being too big and in wrong spot

FIVE £1million homes may have to be knocked down because they were built bigger than their planning permission allowed, including one that was 4in taller than approved by the council.

The six-bedroom, stone-built homes were erected in the West Pennine moors near Bolton, Lancs.

But the properties, known as Grundy Fold, were prevented from being finished when it was discovered they had been built in different places, and facing different directions, from what was agreed for the scheme, as well as being bigger than allowed by the council.

The footprint of one property was 409 sq ft (38 sq metres) larger, while the height of another property was four inches (10cm) greater.

The properties were each sold by Sparkle Developments on a freehold basis. During a committee meeting last week, Elan Raja, one of the homeowners, said: “Given the plots are our homes, the unfolding of various twists and turns of all applications, it’s been nothing short of a living hell. There have been big implications in all areas of our daily lives. The financial burden, the threat of loss, the emotional impact, they’ve all stacked up.”

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Raja told The Bolton News: “We remain committed to working with the local planning authority to find a compromise.”

Planning permission for the site, which was previously Grundy Fold Farm, was originally granted in August 2014 for five houses. Following changes to the homes, a retrospective application was rejected by Bolton council’s planning committee in June 2017.

Despite refusing the scheme as it stood, councillors said they were hopeful a compromise could be found.

Planning chiefs told Sparkle Developments the only acceptable plans would involve selective demolition and the re-siting of some of the houses, but the developer stuck with its own plan.

Four further applications for the development were rejected in May last year, with the council issuing an enforcement notice requiring the company to knock down all the properties in August 2018. The developer has appealed against the May decision as well as the notice.

The homeowners then tried to broker a deal with local planners at a cost to themselves of more than £1million but that plan was rejected last week.

Bolton council confirmed that the original planning permission granted in 2014 was still valid. The appeal takes place in November. Sparkle Developments was contacted for comment.