Councillor at dispute after building gazebo without planning permission
Dolores Lewis, who is a politician in Greater Manchester, has built the gazebo 3m high and just 2m away from the boundary separating her and her neighbour Paul Kinder.
Mr Kinder claims the pitched roof of the gazebo causes it to create shade over his garden. He asked Mrs Lewis to take down the gazebo but said he was ‘ignored’. Mrs Lewis needed planning permission to build this so close to her neighbours’ boundary so she attended a meeting to gain retrospective permission. The neighbours no longer speak because of the issue.
Image: Daily Mail
Martyn Leigh a development officer said that the committee wouldn’t normally be asked to investigate household applications but with issues involving a councillor they have to.
Mr Leigh said ‘The main issues that have to be considered relate to the impact on the character and appearance of the surrounding area.’
Mr Kinder said he wasn’t ‘Attending to oppose anything, or stop anybody having anything.’
‘I am just here to ask you to consider what I consider the law to be.’
He even raised the issue with Mrs Lewis’ partner regarding the roof and how it would cast shade on his garden. He said ‘There has been no interest in what I have said. It’s just been no compromise or trying to see it from our view.
It’s just it’s there and it’s staying there, until my approaches to them led to them not speaking to us.
It just dominates the scenery.’
Image: Daily Mail
However, Mrs Lewis said ‘The company I purchased it from were adamant I didn’t need planning permission for it, otherwise I would have applied for it at that point.’
I did become a local councillor in May of this year, and a few weeks after… the council phoned and said that my neighbour was objecting.’
Stalybridge South Councillor Doreen Dickinson said: ‘What the objector’s saying is if you moved it away from that corner, everyone would be happy.’
I’m just asking why you can’t move it. Why did it have to be stuck in the corner?’
Mrs Lewis explained the gazebo was built for their grandchildren as a playing area and that it was placed there to create more space in the garden. A grant for retrospective planning permission was voted for by some councillors.
If you are purchasing a property and have any concerns, you can contact Pali for advice on 0800 023 5030 / search@paliltd.com.
Melissa Hogan, Pali Ltd
