An elderly couple in their nineties say they are at their 'wits' end' over plans by their wealthy neighbour, a city fund manager, to demolish and rebuild the former council house next door, turning it into a luxury holiday home.
A 60-Year Home Under Threat
Pensioners David Wells, 92, and his wife Ivy, 87, have lived in their semi-detached home in Burnham Market, Norfolk, for more than six decades. Their lives have been thrown into turmoil by the proposals from their next-door neighbour, Naomi Clark, head of investment product management at USS. The two properties are separated by just a nine-inch-thick wall.
Mrs Wells expressed her despair, stating, 'We're at our wits end, we simply can't imagine a future where they're tearing down half the building around us.' The couple had initially been told the work would be a refurbishment and were prepared for 'a bit of banging,' but the scale of the proposed demolition has left them shocked.
Planning Battle and Community Outcry
West Norfolk Council has been recommended to approve the plans for the upmarket village, often dubbed 'Chelsea-on-Sea' due to its popularity with affluent Londoners buying second homes. The final decision is expected on December 1.
The plans have sparked significant local opposition, with almost 450 objections lodged. One objector pleaded, 'Please, please, please consider the impact on the lovely elderly couple who live in the adjoining property.' Another asked, 'How would you feel if this was happening to your parents, grandparents, relatives?'
The couple's granddaughter, Amy Nelligan, 41, emphasised that their concern is not about outsiders but about the wellbeing of her grandparents. 'Our sole concern is for the physical and mental wellbeing of Ivy and David in their twilight years,' she said.
Conflicting Reports and Legal Safeguards
A council officer's report acknowledges the couple's fears of noise, vibration, and dust, and their belief that the rebuilding would severely affect their health, causing stress, anxiety, and sleep loss. They fear the constant 'banging, drilling and demolishing' would make them feel unsafe.
However, the same report concludes that, subject to controls, the impact is not considered unacceptable. An engineer's report cited 'structural deficiencies' in Ms Clark's property, including a weak roof and bowed walls. In contrast, an independent survey for the Wells found no evidence of structural instability.
Ms Clark's agent has pointed to the Party Wall Act as providing 'appropriate safeguards' for the structural stability of the Wells' home. The council's neighbourhood nuisance officer has raised no objections, citing the same act.
Ms Clark has pledged to 'do everything we can to minimise disruption to our neighbours' during the estimated nine-month build, with the aim of creating a new four-bedroom house. The original property was on the market for two years before being purchased for a reported £300,000.
