homeowner, who was instructed to demolish a substantial house he had commenced constructing “without permission,” has initiated a challenge to overturn the ruling. Walsall Council had mandated the homeowner to bulldoze the property, and now he is seeking to reverse their decision.
Walsall Council has stated that Gurwinder Singh violated planning regulations by tearing down a small semi-detached house on the corner of Sandringham Avenue and Arundel Road in Willenhall and replacing it with a much larger home.
The council instructed Singh to demolish the new house, a decision he has now appealed to the Planning Inspectorate.
During a hearing in April 2022, council officials revealed that permission had been granted the previous year for an extension to the original house. However, instead of carrying out the approved extension, Singh demolished the existing property and began constructing a new one.
The construction work, which angered neighbors, later prompted a retrospective planning application from Singh.
Frank Whiteley, a senior planning officer, stated at the time, “In the opinion of the officers, it would be extremely challenging to modify the existing structure without significant additional work and prolonged disruption, which would negatively impact the surrounding area’s quality of life. It is believed that the amount of work required to modify the dwelling to achieve an acceptable outcome would be very similar to demolishing it altogether.”
