A family has hit back at their ‘jealous’ neighbours who complained to the council about their ‘monstrosity’ extension that was built without planning permission.
Homeowner Aysha Khanom was made to pay £2,000 after a retrospective planning request for a large porch at the semi-detached property she shares with her family in a desirable area of Oldham was rejected.
Neighbours claimed the porch, which featured two 2.4metre high columns and a tiled roof, was ‘more in keeping with the Roman pillars of [giant shopping complex] the Trafford Centre’, a ‘hotel’ or a ‘mosque’.
Other comments in objections lodged with Oldham council claimed it ‘sticks out like a sore thumb’, was ‘very ugly, an eyesore’ and was ‘harmful to the amenity, character and appearance of the area’.
Now Ms Khanom’s son, Mohammed, 21, has claimed that some of the neighbours who objected were simply ‘jealous’ of their large home.
‘We moved here from a bad area. We made some money and built the house of our dreams – that’s the sum of it,’ he said.
‘Some people are just jealous because our home makes theirs look small. Personally, I wouldn’t even care if my neighbour painted his house yellow.
‘There’s nine of us living here, so we need a big home for our family.
Mohammed also revealed that the family has plans to turn another property they own into an AirBnB – a move that could make some locals even angrier.
AirBnBs in residential areas have frequently proved controversial among neighbours due to issues such as increased noise and rows over parking.
Mohammed said: ‘We’ve found some land nearby and plan to build an even bigger property because we need more space and we’re going to turn this one into an Airbnb.’
He added that the family owned other property, a restaurant and a car hire company in Dubai.
It is believed the porch at the property on Chadderton Hall Road was the final straw for many long-standing residents who already believed it was being ‘overdeveloped’.
Planning approval was previously given for a dormer, a two-storey side and rear extension and a ‘children’s play house’ which, they claimed, served no purpose.
The council. however. initially refused to grant permission for the porch in December 2022.
A report called it an ‘overly dominant and incongruous addition to the existing property’ which would cause a ‘detrimental impact upon the character and appearance of the street scene, largely owing to its prominence and unduly conspicuous appearance’.
Ms Khanom appealed and submitted revised plans – changing the colour of the pillars from white to black – in March 2023, but they too were refused.
A further appeal was dismissed by the Planning Inspectorate and when she defied an enforcement notice – extended to December, last year – to either remove the porch or reduce its size, the council took her to court.
She admitted breaching the enforcement notice at Tameside Magistrates’ Court last month and was ordered to pay £1,050 costs, a £500 fine and £200 victim surcharge.
Alternative plans for the porch, which limit its size, have been approved by the council and the two large pillars have since been removed and replaced with wooden supports.
Many disgruntled neighbours believe Ms Khanom should have been prosecuted earlier for her family’s ‘arrogant’ stance and attempts to ‘ride roughshod’ over planning rules.
One man, who didn’t wish to be named, said: ‘The porch was the final straw for me.
‘They’d already had permission for a massive extension to the house, which comes a long way out and is not in keeping with the character of the area or nearby homes, and a children’s play house despite no kids living there.
‘The original porch had two, massive pillars – people were comparing them to the ones you see at the Trafford Centre.
‘It was a monstrosity and everyone from round here was really unhappy with it – 23 objections were submitted to the council.
‘But they were really arrogant and refused to take the porch down and the council should have prosecuted them sooner.
‘The next step should be for the council to carry out an inspection of the play house and see what that’s really being used for.’
Another neighbour Ian Rees, 69, said: ‘They’re not good neighbours.
‘They had lovely trees at the back of the house but when they built the huge extension they ripped them all down.
‘At the end of the day, you don’t want trouble with your neighbours – there’s no need for it.
‘But the porch they put up was massive.
‘It jutted out a long way and the builders left a lot of rubbish piled up on a grassy area of the road.’
Another resident said he’d objected to the porch because it ‘wasn’t it keeping with the rest of the neighbourhood’.
He added that there was ‘nothing malicious’ in neighbours’ objections and it was important for the council to ‘show consistency’ in planning decisions.
But not all neighbours were upset by the porch.
One woman said she ‘didn’t get involved’ in the objections while one man, who lives next door, said she’d ‘never had any issues with Ms Khanom’s family.
‘I get on well with all of them,’ he said.
‘There’s a good mix of people around here but I think some of the older residents worry about some things too much.’
He added: ‘The porch never bothered me.’
Rochdale Council were contacted for comment.
