A resident who built a small detached house on his driveway without planning permission has finally torn down his unauthorised property. <br /><br />The homeowner - a Mr M Singh - was originally given approval to build a single-storey garage on Vaughton Street, in Highgate, Birmingham, in 2019. <br /><br />But planning bosses were left stunned in October last year after discovering a small two-storey 'house' had been constructed on the driveway instead. <br /><br />Mr Singh was ordered to demolish the residential dwelling following an appeal, during which he argued there were only 'minor differences' to what was approved.<br /> <br />The family had also previously said they were using the mini property as a gym and were defiant it was staying put. <br /><br />But photographs taken this week now show how the homeowner has significantly reduced the structure to the shape of a previously approved garage. <br /><br />A woman who answered the door of the house refused to comment when approached but neighbours said the building work had been ongoing for weeks.<br /><br />One resident, who did not want to be named, said: "It looks like they have finally complied with the order and thank goodness because it was an eyesore. <br /><br />"I was amazed they got away with it, so it's nice to see that common sense has now prevailed.<br /><br />"They will be kicking themselves though, it must have cost them a few bob to throw that up in the first place and now having to pay to pull it mostly down. <br /><br />"It's hard to have too much sympathy with them though as they were clearly in the wrong. <br /><br />"They've been working on it for a few weeks now and it certainly looks more like a garage."<br /><br />Another neighbour said: "We just assumed they had permission to do that in the first place. <br /><br />"You're never happy to see extensions or new-builds going up blocking out sunlight or replacing gardens and trees but it's just what people do. <br /><br />"But if it was only given permission to be a garage I cannot see how they thought they would ever get away with it. It's clearly a house. <br /><br />"How on earth they were planning to pass that off as garage, God only knows."<br /><br />Mr Singh was given until July to raze the new building to the ground for being in breach of the original planning permission.<br /><br />Planners had originally given approval for a 5.3m x 4.6m garage to be built at the location, which the new building exceeded by several metres. <br /><br />Planning Inspector Thomas Shields wrote in his report after visiting the house last March: "The appellant’s case is that the building already benefits from planning permission granted by the council in 2019. <br /><br />"He argues that although there are differences between the approved plans for the garage and the appeal building they are minor differences.<br /><br />"The approved plans for the garage show a single storey detached garage with a footprint of 5.3m x 4.6m and a height of 3.6m.<br /><br />"It was also shown having a standard garage door to the front and no windows on any elevation.<br /><br />"In comparison with the approved garage the appeal building has a footprint of approximately 8.7m x 4.7m and a height of 5.3m<br /><br />"Consequently, it is substantially larger than the approved building. It is not a minor difference.<br /><br />"There are some other differences. Instead of single-storey, the appeal building is 1.5 storey and has two rooms in the roof, facilitated by an almost full-width box dormer.<br /><br />"Instead of a garage door, there is a pedestrian door into the front room and a tripartite bow window. <br /><br />"Two more windows in the rear elevation serve a separate, smaller room.<br /><br />"All of these differences, between what was approved, and what has been built, are not minor. <br /><br />"Since the appeal building bears little resemblance to the scale and design of the approved single-storey garage, it does not benefit from that planning permission.<br /><br />"The requirements of the notice are: demolish the entire unauthorised detached structure and remove all demolished building materials and rubble from the premises."<br /><br />A spokesperson for Birmingham City Council said: "The council is actively pursuing compliance with the Enforcement Notice.<br /><br />"It is a live case so there's nothing more we can say at this stage."<br /><br />The council had said previously: "We served an EN (enforcement notice) for the demolition of the unauthorised structure when the owner lost at appeal. <br /><br />"We are in discussions with the owner re timeline. Compliance with the notice was due by July 1, 2022."
