A Leeds homeowner says she has been left “stuck” after the semi-detached property attached to her home was demolished, leaving an exposed wall and a catalogue of problems.

Shivarna Mitra bought her home in Pudsey in 2021, but says her situation changed dramatically after the neighbouring property was sold the following year.

The adjoining house was subsequently demolished following safety concerns, leaving Mitra’s property standing alongside an empty plot.

According to Mitra, the demolition was carried out without the required planning permission and a subsequent retrospective planning application was refused.

Home left exposed to elements

Mitra says the loss of the adjoining property left part of her home exposed to the weather and has resulted in problems including damp and damage to the roof.

She also claims rats, squirrels and wasps have been able to enter the property.

The situation has left the house attracting attention locally for all the wrong reasons, while Mitra says she has struggled to resolve the problems.

Leeds City Council said building control officers inspected her property and found it to be structurally sound.

The council said the owner of the neighbouring site was advised to weatherproof the exposed dividing wall, but the work was not completed.

Replacement house approved

The empty plot has since changed ownership and planning permission has now been granted for a replacement property to be built alongside Mitra’s home.

However, Mitra says she continues to feel trapped by the situation while waiting for the development to progress.

She warned that what happened to her could potentially happen to other homeowners, saying she feels “stuck” after years of uncertainty surrounding the neighbouring site.