Owners Lose Appeal Over Oversized Extension at 40 Cranmer Road
The owners of 40 Cranmer Road have suffered a blow after failing to overturn a planning enforcement notice from Hillingdon Council. The notice, served in March 2022, demands the removal of a massive illegal extension. The battle came to a head last week at the Royal Courts of Justice, where the owners’ appeal was thrown out.
Delay Costs Owners Dearly
The court heard the homeowners ignored the notice until May 2022, missing the deadline to respond or appeal, which expired at the end of April. Instead of complying, they tried to challenge the council’s actions via judicial review. But the judge ruled the council followed all protocols properly. The owners’ delay and inaction sealed their fate.
Illegal Extension More Than Double Approved Size
- Original permission (2018): single-storey rear extension, 4 metres long
- Actual build (2020): extension roughly 9 metres long and 4.5 metres wide
- Extension too big to qualify for permitted development rights, requiring full approval
Photos and reports from the council’s building control team confirmed the massive discrepancy between the approved plans and the build. The extension wasn’t just a minor overshoot – it more than doubled the permitted size.
Council Wins Costs, Owners Face Demolition Deadline
The judge praised the council’s “reasonable” actions and dismissed the owners’ claims entirely. The council was awarded full legal costs of £6,492. The homeowners now face the costly task of ripping down the illegal extension by 8 March 2023.
Cllr Eddie Lavery, Hillingdon Council’s Cabinet Member for Residents Services, said: “This is an excellent result for the council. The judge confirmed the council acted completely reasonably and lawfully. The owners had ample time to act but chose not to.
“It has now cost them a significant amount of money – and their extension. Planning laws ensure developments respect local communities and avoid over-building. These rules apply to everyone. Let this be a warning: we will take action wherever people flout the rules.”
