Eyesore Extensions Must Go, Planners Tell Landlords

Eyesore Extensions Must Go, Planners Tell Landlords

9:33 AM, 5th December 2011, About 12 years ago

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Planners are cracking down on landlords who have added extensions to 24 homes in just three streets without permission.

Manchester City Council says 14 of the illegal extensions were built on properties owned by two landlords.

The landlords have nine months to knock down the extensions and return the homes to their original state – or face fines of up to £20,000 a property and confiscation of any rents from tenants.

The council has served enforcement notices on the landlords with properties to let in Braemar Road, Brailsford Road and Moseley Road, Fallowfield, following complaints from neighbours.

Most of the notices relate to poorly designed first floor rear extensions, says the council.

The property owners can either comply with the notice or appeal to the Communities and Local Government for retrospective planning permission.

Councillor Nigel Murphy, Manchester City Council’s executive member for the environment, said: “It’s very unusual to have so many unauthorised extensions in such a concentrated area, and this has had a real impact on the appearance of the neighbourhood.

“We encourage investment in properties which improve the look of our neighbourhoods and we ask developers and homeowners to first contact our planning department to discuss any proposed alterations. However, we will always follow this action when developers build extensions that are poorly designed and have a negative impact on a neighbourhood.”

Many of the homes are houses in multiple occupation let to students or single renters. If the shared homes do not have licences under HMO rules, the owners may also face prosecution for illegally letting the properties.


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