Mum who spent £170,000 building house for disabled daughter forced to tear it down

A MUM who built a £170,000 “detached house” for her disabled daughter is being forced to tear it down as she didn’t have planning permission.

Clair Birch, 58, claimed she only erected the two-bedroom annexe because her daughter had a “phobia of being on the ground floor at night”.

Ms Birch work earlier this year after seeking approval to replace her existing garage with a modest one-bedroom annexe intended to give her daughter more independence

But neighbours said a structure resembling a detached bungalow rapidly rose in its place, leaving residents shocked and prompting a wave of complaints to the council.

Disgruntled neighbours in Worcester, Worcestershire, labelled the building an “eyesore” and claimed they had seen it listed on Airbnb.

Now, Ms Birch faces having to demolish the annexe after Worcester city council labelled the works “overbearing” and refused her retrospective planning application.

Residents have also complained that the imposing build breaches privacy and doesn’t fit in with the character of any of the surrounding homes.

The fuming 58-year-old condemned “snotty neighbours” for “making life hell”.

One local said the annexe extends onto their land and has caused damage, while another said the planned extension was at one point referred to as an Airbnb in the planning application.

A resudebtt, who did not wish to be named, said: “I’m not sure how on earth they thought they could get away with throwing up that eyesore.

“Who builds a detached house in their back garden without getting permission first? It’s barmy. It’s got two floors – it’s a second house.”

Another resident, who did not wish to be named, added: “We simply call it ‘the big house’ – they knocked it up in no time.

“They had an extension built on the back of the semi, plus a lean-to and a small garage. I thought they were rebuilding the garage but it just kept on going.

“They’ve fenced it all off into a separate property, it effectively stands alone. It’s like a bungalow now.

“I put a complaint in after seeing how big it was and then further complaints went in.

“They’ve actually built the place onto next-doors property. I know they built it onto the shared party wall without speaking to their neighbours.”

The resident claimed Ms Birch had run “separate lines down for water and power”, but the mother said the annexe “hasn’t got its own utilities” and was “linked” to her house.

The fuming local added: “It is massive, it doesn’t even fit in with the street. From the windows, you can see all the gardens from both sides, so there’s no privacy.”

But Ms Birch hit back, claiming the building was for her disabled daughter.

She blamed the property firm she hired for not submitting the correct planning documents.

Ms Birch blasted her “snotty neighbours” for “making life hell”, adding: “I’ve done this building in good faith and thought since June I have the relevant permissions.

“I’m left with a building my disabled daughter is no longer able to use. She wants her independence.

“She’s got a phobia of being on the ground floor at night, so we put a second floor in.”

Ms Birch also claimed it was her building planner who incorrectly listed the annexe on Airbnb.

Worcester city council refused the retrospective planning application after finding the size and scale of the works lacked “visual cohesion” with the surrounding area.

Officials also said it failed to “demonstrate a clear functional or physical dependency on the main dwelling”.

They added: “The overall height, scale, and proximity of the annexe to adjoining boundaries result in a visually dominant and overbearing structure.

“The development leads to an increased sense of enclosure and loss of outlook from neighbouring gardens and results in an unacceptable impact on the amenity of nearby residents.”