Homeowner Ordered to Demolish £180,000 Back Garden Bungalow Built Without Permission
A homeowner has been instructed to tear down the £180,000 bungalow he constructed in his back garden after failing to secure planning permission on three separate occasions. Mark Jones, 55, replaced his garage with a two-bedroom, one-bathroom 'granny flat' complete with electricity, water, and Wi-Fi in March 2019. However, he did not apply for planning permission, claiming he 'thought it was fine' due to the building's size.
Despite submitting a retrospective planning application in 2021, Birmingham City Council ruled that the 'alien' structure must be removed. In response, he filed a second application but was again ordered to demolish the bungalow by the end of June 2025. As a final desperate measure, he applied for a certificate of lawfulness, stating it would be used as an outbuilding with a gym, gaming room, and office. This too was refused, and six years after construction, Mr Jones must now knock it down.
Neighbours expressed delight at Mr Jones' predicament, branding him selfish and inconsiderate. Barbara told the Daily Mail: 'There shouldn't be one rule for them and a different one for others. I could have built a house for my son in the back garden. Morally you should have planning permission, it's not right. We all have to follow the rules and people should be considerate of their neighbours.' Another resident, who chose to remain anonymous, added: 'Good. I say that because he went outside the realms of planning.'
Birmingham City Council's initial objection followed several neighbour complaints about the building's 'over-intensive' size, as well as concerns over parking, privacy for neighbours, and light emanating from the new bungalow. However, Mr Jones argued that the council was 'bullying him' over the saga. Last year, the father-of-two said: 'You look at other houses on the street and I can't see why we wouldn't get permission for it. For an area with a housing shortage, it's ridiculous. Loads of people have done this. If I tear it down I've got nowhere else to go so I'll probably be on the streets.'
The white-washed bungalow features its own gravel drive and patio seating area. Its water and electrics are connected to the main house, a three-bedroom property worth around £355,000. The IT engineer had initially hoped his unwell father, Tony, 71, would live in the property in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands. However, Tony died of bowel cancer just a few months later, and Mr Jones moved into the bungalow after his divorce.
Some neighbours sympathised with Mr Jones. Jane Kelly told the Daily Mail: 'It doesn't bother me, it's never been a problem. I'm on the back and they don't bother me at all, I never hear them.' Another neighbour added: 'I don't understand why it's a problem, it's more than ridiculous. I don't even understand why the council care, with all that's going on in the world and we're going to bother about that – it's mad.'
Arguing that the bungalow was 'never meant to be a separate building', Mr Jones said: 'It doesn't have its own water, internet, council tax or waste. It is still part of the main house. I should have waited for planning permission but people can see why I haven't. I was in a hurry to get my dad moved in. When you look at Google maps and see all the buildings in the gardens, you can see why I thought it was safe. From the street or a neighbour’s garden, you wouldn’t see anything. You can’t see into windows. There was a garage there before.'
Birmingham City Council have been contacted for comment.
