A mother has been told to tear down a £170,000 garden extension after neighbours complained it was an 'eyesore'. Clair Birch, 58, built a two-storey annexe in the back garden of her semi-detached home in Worcester without proper planning permission.
Neighbours were shocked when the standalone structure, described as resembling an 'extended bungalow', was erected. Worcester City Council rejected retrospective planning permission, calling the building 'overbearing' and more like a self-contained dwelling than an annexe.
Locals complained the construction encroached on their land, blocked sunlight, and violated privacy. One neighbour said: 'It's a two-storey building, probably four times the size of a standard garage. They've fenced it off into a separate property.' Another claimed it caused flooding and damaged their property.
Clair says the extension was built for her disabled daughter and blames a property firm for submitting incorrect paperwork. She said: 'I'm liaising with my builder and planner who apparently has submitted all the correct paperwork. The planning application was put in March but they appear to have submitted the wrong info and left me without a paddle.'
The council stated the extension had an 'unacceptable impact on the amenity of nearby residents'. Clair now faces demolition unless a solution is reached.
