Despite Illegally building 12 bungalows you can Keep Them!

January 19, 2019

I am sure that many people would love the flexibility of building anywhere and everywhere we wanted on land/property that we own, though we all know that we need to seek permission first and this means working closely with the planning department.

So a recent news story highlighting that illegal new building work took place and the developer has been allowed to keep what they built will raise a few eyebrows and of course tempt others to do likewise!

A developer who was said to have secretly built 12 bungalows without planning permission (they were disguised as gyms) has been allowed to keep them following investigation from Birmingham City Council’s planning committee – Raising a few eyebrows I am sure and of course we ask the question, who knows who at the said planning department so that illegal activities have been rewarded?

The 12 illegally built bungalows, an eye sore for sure, are hidden behind a row of flats in the Hall Green area of Birmingham and had electrics / water all connected ready for residential use – The planning department has since removed the utility connections.

Of course, if the planning department act as they would do if illegal development was against the law, the buildings would be torn down, but it appears that the planning committee withdrew their rejection upon advise that they would find it difficult to defend this in an appeal?

Remedial work is set to be carried out on the illegally built residential property portfolio to include installing roofs, doors and windows.

So lesson of the day, so I see this as being, is to attempt to build what you want on your land, you just may get away with it?

Full story can be read on the Daily Mail website.

Christopher Walkey

Founder of Estate Agent Networking. Internationally invited speaker on how to build online target audiences using Social Media. Writes about UK property prices, housing, politics and affordable homes.

You May Also Enjoy

Damaged timber from Dry Rot
Estate Agent Talk

Mould and damp – what you need to know ahead of winter

With the winter months just round the corner, problems with damp and mould can become far more prominent. Autumntime is when many people turn on central heating systems and choose to close windows, preventing fresh air ventilation needed to allow damp air to leave a property. Unfortunately, the combination of warm and damp air can…
Read More →
Breaking News

Rental price and average salary tracker – September 2025

London and South East see biggest dips in required rental salary year-on-year London and the South East saw the sharpest dips year-on-year in the average salary needed in order to rent the average home in that area. London saw a 4.2% drop, whilst the South East saw a decline of 2.9%. Yorkshire and Humberside saw…
Read More →
buying at auction uk
Breaking News

The cities where buying beats renting – with just a 5% deposit

British first-time buyer mortgage payments are typically 17% cheaper than renting, even with a low 5% deposit The average 5% deposit is £11,412 based on a typical first-time buyer property price of £228,233 Among major cities outside London, the biggest gap between owning and renting is in Glasgow, where buyers could save more than £4,750…
Read More →
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Rightmove’s Weekly Mortgage Rates Tracker

Average rates for 2-year and 5-year fixed-rate mortgages   Term Average rate Weekly change Yearly change 2-year fixed 4.51% +0.00% -0.37% 5-year fixed 4.55% +0.01% +0.01%   Lowest rates for 2-year and 5-year fixed-rate mortgages   Term Lowest rate Weekly change Yearly change 2-year fixed 3.77% +0.05% -0.07% 5-year fixed 3.97% +0.10% +0.29%   Average…
Read More →
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Data and commentary from Rightmove on stamp duty reforms

Colleen Babcock, Rightmove’s property expert said: “We’ve been calling for stamp duty reform for some time now, as it’s a significant barrier for many people moving home. Abolishing it completely would remove one of the biggest barriers to moving, unlocking more moves at all stages of the property ladder. “Our data shows that only 5%…
Read More →
Breaking News

Second-time buyers dominate demand for longer term fixed mortgage deals

Second-time buyers are dominating demand for longer term fixed mortgage deals, fresh data from Moneyfacts Analyser can reveal. Of those looking for fixed term deals on moneyfactscompare.co.uk: Almost two-thirds (58%) of second-time buyers who compared mortgage deals using the moneyfactscompare.co.uk website were considering terms of three years or longer in the 30 days to 1…
Read More →