Latest news with #planning permission
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
I chopped down a protected willow tree to build a £75,000 two-storey man cave in my garden... my neighbours hate it but I don't care
A man who illegally chopped down a protected willow tree to build a £75k 'man cave' in his back garden is at war with neighbours and the local council. Justin Claybourn, 56, erected the two-storey annexe without planning permission has now been hit with a hefty fine and ordered to demolish the entire structure. He flouted council rules by constructing the 12-metre-long hideaway behind his detached home in the picturesque Foggathorpe, an ancient East Yorkshire hamlet referenced in the Domesday Book. Despite being granted permission for a single-storey garage, the father-of-two spent £75,000 on a lavish DIY project complete with a steel staircase, French doors, and first-floor balcony that neighbours say invades their privacy. Mr Claybourn, a plumber and builder, also illegally chopped down a mature 50ft willow tree that had been protected under a Tree Preservation Order (TPO). East Riding of Yorkshire Council has now ordered him to demolish the 'entirely unauthorised' building, staircase and an adjoining timber pergola 'in their entirety'. In response, the self-employed plumber denied wrongdoing and accused town hall planners of 'stabbing me in the back'. Mr Claybourn argued the building - used for his hobby of restoring classic cars and offering his daughter a place to stay - falls within permitted development rules, claiming the council misread his original plans. Insisting he is '100% guaranteed to win' an appeal, the defiant tradesman told MailOnline: 'I can't lose. I won't have to demolish it. 'The worst-case scenario is I would have to take the windows and the staircase out, and that's it. 'If push comes to shove, I won't be able use it. But I'm not knocking it down. 'It would never have got to this stage if the council had read the initial plans. But they're being absolutely horrendous. They're doing everything they can to stab me in the back.' Council planners originally green-lit the proposal in 2021, approving a modest brick garage which it said would be similar in height to neighbours', on the strict condition the mature willow tree would be safeguarded. Mr Claybourne admitted lopping down the protected tree after completing the build - an action that led to court-ordered fines and costs totalling £5,644. He admitted: 'I cut the tree down after I built the garage, because a branch fell off and smashed the garage roof in. 'It's a willow tree. It's an invasive species in my back garden and it was out of control. 'Branches were falling off. They smashed the fence panels in on the right-hand side of my house. I had to pay for them. 'I've got grandkids. If my grandkids come in and something falls off it, what do you do? So, I just took the bullet and I cut it down." East Riding council pursued enforcement action claiming that what eventually emerged on the site was not in line with what had been signed off, and included a bathroom, kitchen, reception room and additional Velux windows. Emma Lister, who lives next door, said the giant annexe had left her family feeling exposed in their own garden. In an objection to Mr Claybourn's rebuffed retrospective planning application, the mother-of-two wrote: 'We strongly object to the addition of glass doors, a balcony or seating area, and an external staircase at the rear first floor of the garage/store, which sits directly next to the boundary of our garden. 'The elevated position and close proximity of the structure result in significant overlooking, severely impacting our privacy. It is also completely out of character with the surrounding properties in this residential area.' Mr Claybourn has appealed to the planning inspectorate, with a decision expected later in the year. He said: 'If I have to do, I'll take the windows out and I'll take the staircase down. 'We've got to draw a line under it somewhere and come to an agreement. 'If I thought I had to knock it down, I would never have built it. 'If I have to demolish it, can you imagine the mess?' In enforcement documents seen by MailOnline, East Riding officials declared: 'The appearance of the building has been substantially altered... and as a result appears out of scale with the domestic setting of the site and does not comply with the design code. 'As approved, the garage would have complemented the scale and appearance of the neighbouring garage. However, the development as built appears as a dominant feature when viewed from the street.' The council report added: 'The building has been designed to be capable of being occupied independently of the main dwelling since the accommodation comprises a kitchen, bathroom, reception room and 'store' and has been used for residential accommodation. 'As a result of the building being entirely unauthorised, there is no control with regards the occupation of the accommodation. This could result in an unacceptable impact on the residential amenity of neighbouring occupiers from noise and disturbance.' In response, Mr Claybourn said that stonework was reclaimed from a church conversion to match the original property and that 6.25m height of the annexe was only marginally bigger than that initially approved. He was taken to court in January and ordered to pay £5,644 in fines and costs for lopping down the willow, which was said to have been in 'good health' before being razed. The court heard he initially caused serious damage by pollarding the tree, before then going on to completely remove it. A council spokesperson said: 'The works were undertaken without any consent either for the initial works to pollard the tree, or the works to fell the tree. 'Investigations by the East Riding of Yorkshire council's planning department revealed that the tree appeared to be in good health prior to the work taking place.' Councillor Gary McMaster, of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: 'The council takes protection of trees seriously and takes robust action where illegal behaviour occurs.' If Mr Claybourn loses an ongoing appeal with the Planning Inspectorate, he will have six months to tear down the annexe or face the prospect of again being summoned to court. East Riding of Yorkshire Council said it would not comment during the appeal process.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Herefordshire cabin used to cook snails approved for holiday let conversion
A Herefordshire supplier of premium edible snails has been given permission to turn a cabin where he cooks them into a single-bedroom holiday Fishbourne of Fownhope, near Hereford, applied for planning permission for the switch in had been concern from Fownhope Parish Council about the building being considered for residential use, with a local resident worried it could set a precedent for it was deemed appropriate by Herefordshire Council and the business, which supplies top-end restaurants, will continue to cook snails elsewhere on site. Fownhope Parish Council said the property was both outside the settlement boundary and within the boundary of the Wye Valley National Landscape, and also "highly visible" from the Council planning officer Joshua Evans concluded that "small-scale holiday accommodation and the associated cooking cabin" were in line with local and national planning would be "no significant harm to landscape character, residential amenity or protected views", the officer added.A condition with the approval prevents its future use as a home, as well as restricting lighting and Fishbourne previously said that getting permission to diversify a rural business "can be an uphill battle". His business of supplying top-end restaurants will continue, as the snail cooking operation is being relocated to an already permitted hay store at the site. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Decision made on plans for snail-cooking cabin
A Herefordshire supplier of premium edible snails used by chefs including Heston Blumenthal has been given permission to turn a cabin where he cooks them into a single-bedroom holiday let. Richard Fishbourne of Fownhope southeast of Hereford applied for planning permission for the switch in June. But it was not wholly popular locally. Fownhope Parish Council maintained that the property was both outside the settlement boundary and within the Wye Valley National Landscape, and was also 'highly visible' from the village, so should not be considered for residential use. RELATED NEWS: Heston Blumenthal's snail porridge supplier's plans Revealed: 110-home plan for Kington, Herefordshire Planning appeal over replacing leylandii hedge in Ledbury Village resident Oliver Slane also feared the plan could 'begin a precedent to put more residential buildings on the area'. But there were no objections from highways or ecology officers, or from Welsh Water. Planning officer Joshua Evans concluded that 'small-scale holiday accommodation and the associated cooking cabin' were in line with local and national planning policy, with 'no significant harm to landscape character, residential amenity, or protected views'. OTHER NEWS: Lower voting age could swing Herefordshire seat River named among worst for 'under-the-radar' chemicals Setback for farm's bid for bigger chicken sheds Conditions with the approval prevent its future use as a home, as well as restricting lighting and noise. Mr Fishbourne previously said that getting permission to diversify a rural business 'can be an uphill battle'. His 'niche' business of supplying top-end restaurants will continue, as the snail cooking operation is being relocated to an already permitted hay store at the site.
BBC News
7 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Morville Quarry gets permission to expand
A quarry in the Shropshire countryside has been given permission to extend its operations, trebling its Quarry near Bridgnorth had been due to run out of deposits to dig at the end of this year, but will now continue working for another 20 of Shropshire Council's Southern Planning Committee raised questions on Tuesday about the proximity to the planned Tasley Garden Village residential development and mud left on the roads by the proposal was passed by the panel with just one abstention. Shropshire Sand and Gravel will be allowed to quarry areas to the north and south of the existing site, which it said would help meet the county's need for mineral extraction as well as secure jobs. At the end of the 20-year period, a further two years will be allowed to return the siteProgressive independent councillor Rachel Connolly, representing Bridgnorth West and Tasley, expressed concerns about the 1,500 home development nearby.A planning officer replied that the proximity of the two sites had been taken into consideration as the Local Plan, overseeing major development sites, was drawn up. She also told another committee member, Conservative Nigel Lumby, that conditions would be put in place to keep the junction of the access road clear of mud. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
