The guy who constructed a two-storey HOUSE on his driveway: How circle of relatives waged warfare with council over unlawful house… however 3 years later who gained?

It was once a brazen transfer through a home-owner that prompt a years-long feud with Birmingham Council.

Mr M Singh was once ordered to rip down a construction on his driveway after he built a two-storey house instead of what was once supposed to be a humble storage.

Council bosses had been left surprised to find the circle of relatives, who had firstly been given acclaim for a single-storey storage at their semi-detached estate in Highgate, Birmingham, had as an alternative constructed a bit of space.

When MailOnline visited the valuables in October 2022, the home-owner had misplaced an attraction in opposition to the enforcement motion, however the construction – together with a big dormer window – was once nonetheless intact.

But 3 years later, the construction, regardless that stays status, seems to be solely other.

Discussions between Mr Singh and the council resulted in each events accepting adjustments that have left it having a look garage-like whilst retaining the entrance doorstep.

The entrance door to the mini-property has now been changed through a standard storage door, and the huge dormer window to the facet has been ripped down.

The row has left locals within the disadvantaged space of Birmingham scratching their heads.

Planning utility had firstly been granted in 2009 for a single-storey storage at the driveway. But as an alternative a two-storey estate have been constructed

The authentic plans submitted to Birmingham City Council seemed to display a standard storage being built

Many felt sympathy with the householders who had taken a petition spherical for locals to signal within the hope of retaining their little space at the driveway.

Habib, 19, a pupil, mentioned: ‘I remember walking past this on my way to school when they were building it.

‘They put a lot of elbow grease into it. They were working from eight until five every day.

‘It wasn’t affecting any person or blocking off any person’s view of the rest. It was once neat. I’d be fuming if I used to be them.’

But regardless of gathering dozens of signatures, the Singh circle of relatives, whose estate it’s, had been compelled to vary the construction considerably.

Nessa Baharun, who can see the valuables from her again lawn, mentioned: ‘Sometimes the Council are just a bit over the top.

‘No-one has had their view ruined. If anyone was affected it would be this house and next door but it doesn’t trouble us.

‘It just sits in the corner. I feel sorry for them. They must have lost a lot of money.

‘I have seen them taking furniture out of there, so I guess they just use it for storage.’

Locals mentioned that the trade from space to storage took place over two years in the past.

One mechanic operating on Vaughton Street, a selection of trendy semi-detached properties going through a small patch of grass and manufacturing facility gadgets, mentioned: ‘I don’t know what it’s now. You couldn’t power a automotive into it, you’d break your tyres.

‘And it is definitely not a house. It’s a not anything.’

Other locals wondered the Council’s priorities.

Neighbour Kemal, a businessman in his sixties, mentioned: ‘It does look a bit weird now. It made more sense before and it was not affecting anyone because it was tucked into the corner of the drive.

‘This area has a lot of problems and that building is not one of them.

Images show what the ‘garage’ now looks like, with the front door replaced with a traditional garage door

The large dormer window to the side of the building has also now been removed

Inspector Thomas Shields, appointed by the Secretary of State, wrote in his planning report in March 2022: ‘It is substantially larger than the approved building. It is not a minor difference.’

A Google Streetview image of the property in 2009 before the application to build the garage was made 

A street view showing the structure when it was built as a small house

‘Drug use is rife. The area is covered with these Top Whip canisters which are some sort of drug.

‘We have a primary school on the road and children having to step over rubbish and drug stuff on their way to school.

‘There’s one patch of grass which is all littered and the Council are being concerned a few neat little construction.’

Shabana Mubarik, a instructor on the close by Chandos Primary School, mentioned: ‘This is a very deprived area. Staff regularly have to pick up canisters which are everywhere to protect the children.

‘So I don’t care about this little construction. I assume it was once some jealous neighbour who complained. You don’t know.

‘It makes sense to me to make use of the space you’ve were given and their driveway lets in them that house. I don’t know why any person would have a subject matter with it.’

And Kyah Rosser, 18, out strolling her canine, added: ‘I’ve lived round right here all my existence and I feel the Council must undoubtedly have allowed them to stay what they’d completed.

‘It’s their land. It makes no distinction to any person.’

The Singh circle of relatives to begin with put of their plans for a storage on their spacious driveway in 2009.

The Singh circle of relatives to begin with put of their plans for a storage on their spacious driveway in 2009

The ‘storage’ is positioned at the power in their semi-detached space in rundown Highgate

The construction nonetheless has a 2nd storey with a window to the entrance of the construction

But it wasn’t till the aftermath of Covid that they began their construct.

Birmingham planners mentioned the result differed considerably from what was once agreed and the circle of relatives went directly to lose an attraction in opposition to the order to rip it down.

Most locals recalled Mrs Singh going across the space with a petition asking neighbours to strengthen them.

Geoff, a 60-year-old, mentioned: ‘I signed to support them but they misled the Government so they were always going to be in trouble.

‘You can’t say you wish to have a storage and construct a space even though it does make no distinction. The regulations is the foundations.’

But Kerry, a 30-year-old Mum at the faculty run, mentioned: ‘I do feel sorry for them. They had a plan to make their lives better, spent a lot of money and now they can’t use it for its supposed objective.

‘It’s no longer blocking off any scenic view. There’s no longer a lot to take a look at round right here.’

The Singh circle of relatives, whose estate it’s, didn’t want to remark additional, pronouncing that the problem was once now closed.