A GRAYS homeowner may be forced to demolish a single storey extension after a planning inspector dismissed an appeal against Thurrock Council’s enforcement action reports the Local Democracy Reporter.
Thurrock Council issued an enforcement notice over the structure at a property in Oak Road, Grays, which had been built without planning permission to the rear and side of the property.
The homeowner appealed, but the Planning Inspectorate has now upheld the council’s notice in full.
The inspector rejected multiple grounds of appeal, including the argument that the notice had not been properly served, and ruled that the development did not comply with planning rules.
In dismissing the appeal under the inspector made clear that developers cannot rely on “partial compliance” to justify unauthorised works. Because the extension exceeded the limits set out under permitted development rights, the council was entitled to require the entire structure to be removed.
The inspector also ruled the extension was not immune from enforcement action at the time the notice was issued.
A previous attempt by the homeowner to secure retrospective planning permission was refused by Thurrock Council in 2022. A second application, proposing changes to the roof of the extension, was also rejected.
In considering the appeal under the inspector agreed with the council’s original reasoning that the extension harmed the living conditions of the neighbouring property and negatively affected the character and appearance of the terrace.
As a result, the appeal was dismissed and the enforcement notice—requiring the unlawful extension to be removed—remains in place.
