'I just want to look after my mom and dad,' man who built extension without permission tells meeting

Harminder Singh Reehal received the green light from Sandwell Council to add a handful of amendments to his home in Barnfordhill Close, Oldbury, in 2021 – but after several failed attempts to get permission for a two-storey extension, built it anyway.

Sandwell Council’s planning committee was due to decide on the ‘retrospective’ proposals for the family home in March, but quickly abandoned the debate after Mr Reehal threw a spanner in the works and revealed only one of the home’s original walls was still in place.

The planning application, which included a first-floor side extension, single-storey side extension and single and two-storey rear extensions, was scrapped and replaced with a fresh application for a ‘new’ home.

Sandwell Council’s planners have recommended the work should be approved when councillors meet again to rule on the application.

The work includes a bigger home with a first-floor side extension, a single-storey side extension to the roadside, single and two-storey rear extensions, an increase in roof height, two rear dormer windows and a front porch. The application also proposes the reinstatement of a grass verge, new boundary fencing and three off-street parking spaces to the front drive.

In a report which will be discussed by the council’s planning committee on Wednesday, July 24, it said: “The development would have no significant impact on the amenity of surrounding residents and the design and scale would assimilate into the surrounding area; being compliant with development plan policy.

“Whilst the unauthorised demolition, rebuild and removal of the verge is regrettable, the proposal builds on the principles set in a previous approval and seeks to rectify wrongs with a reasonable scheme to address the visual amenity issues.”

Under the old plan by Mr Reehal, a side extension which had originally intended to be two-storeys - but was criticised by the council’s planners and rejected - would have stayed in place.

A separate extension, that was also built without permission, would have been demolished. A roadside grass verge would be reinstated and a new perimeter fence would also have been built.

Mr Reehal apologised to his neighbours at the planning meeting in March, saying the work was taking longer than expected. He said: “We just want to improve the area and get on.

“It’s a family house, my mom and dad are supposed to come in and that’s why we want to extend the house, I just want to look after my mom and dad.”

Mr Reehal then told the committee he had demolished all but one of the walls on the original building, which led to the council’s solicitor recommending an immediate deferral.

He said: “From what the applicant has just said, he has pretty much demolished his original building in which case it puts into doubt the 2021 permission and also puts into doubt everything you are reading tonight."

Councillor Ellen Fenton said she was 'very uncomfortable' deciding on an extension when it appeared to be a 'complete new build with one external wall from an old building'.

The council said the removal of the grass verge and 'substantial' groundwork on the unauthorised extension was carried out in early 2023 and an enforcement case was opened by the council in March.

Sandwell Council’s planning committee meets in Oldbury on July 24.