A property on Sandringham Avenue which has been described as making life "hell" for neighbours has been ordered to be knocked down by the Planning Committee at Walsall Council. Permission had been granted for an extension to the house on the corner of Sandringham Avenue and Arundel Road but councillors at the committee heard that the applicant instead demolished the original property and started building a new one in 2021.
Enforcement officers at Walsall Council said it was unacceptable in terms of size and scale and senior officer Frank Whiteley said altering the existing structure would "prolong the disruption". "There is no immediate prospect of an acceptable solution being found and on these terms, demolition is considered proportionate and reasonable," he added.
Ward councillor Stacie Elson said that the episode had caused "distress in the community". A retrospective application had been submitted and drew objections from neighbours and a 95-signature petition. It has since been withdrawn and a fresh application submitted in the past fortnight.
Willenhall North councillor Adam Hicken added: "Thanks to Stacie Elson for the work she has put into this. The way that this has gone about is horrific. It is way beyond the scope of what was originally agreed. It, as it currently stands, is just a ruin quite frankly. "The impact it has had on neighbours has been terrible. Even from a neutral point of view, all members should share the disgust in the way this has been done."
The new building is "way beyond the scope" of what was agreed, Councillor Adam Hicken said, and "the impact it has had on neighbours has been terrible". The committee voted unanimously in favour of supporting enforcement to demolish the property.
