Mark Jones, 55, replaced an old garage with a two-bedroom ‘granny flat’ – but must now tear it down
Mark Jones outside the bungalow he has been ordered to demolish.
The Birmingham dad ordered to tear down his £180,000 back garden bungalow said he “thought he was safe” to build it – despite not having planning permission.
Mark Jones, 55, swapped an ageing garage for a two-bedroom ‘granny annex’ complete with electricity, water and broadband and linked to the main house in Sutton Coldfield in March 2019.
But, as BirminghamLive has reported, he did not seek planning permission, relying instead on permitted development rights, in his rush to move his ill dad, Tony, 71, into the development in Walmley Ash Road.
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His father later died and Mark’s adult daughter and her partner using the space during the pandemic lockdowns.
But, following complaints from three neighbours about the development being “over-intensive”, Birmingham City Council demanded its removal in 2021.
Mark has since twice been denied planning permission and lost an appeal and has a matter of days to meet a deadline of removing the bungalow by the end of June.
The divorcee, who now lives in it himself, has said he faces being made homeless if he is forced to comply.
The dad-of-two said: “There is no public interest in taking the bungalow down, so I don’t know why they’re making me.
Mark Jones’s dad, Tony.
“You look at other houses on the street and I can’t see why we wouldn’t get permission for it. For an area with a housing shortage, it’s ridiculous.
“It was never meant to be a separate building, it was supposed to be part of the main house. It doesn’t have its own water, internet, council tax or waste.
“It is still part of the main house. I should have waited for planning permission but people can see why I haven’t.
“I was in a rush to move my dad in. When you look at Google maps and see all the buildings in the gardens, you can see why I thought it was safe.
“Loads of people have done this. If I tear it down I’ve nowhere else to go so I’ll probably be on the streets.
Inside the bungalow off Walmley Ash Road built in a back garden which Mark Jones insists was allowed to be built under permitted development rights
“To me the council is bullying me. They want me to knock a property down that’s perfectly reasonable.
“From the street or a neighbour’s garden, you wouldn’t see anything. You can’t see into windows. There was a garage there before.”
Mark has lodged a new permitted development certificate application with the council.
Even if it is approved, he will still need to demolish the original bungalow and rebuild it to adhere to the council’s regulations.
A spokeswoman for Birmingham City Council said: “Mr Jones is currently in breach of the enforcement notice served to him in 2021, and we have given him ample time to comply with the notice by the end of June 2025.
“A decision will be made imminently on the lawful development certificate that Mr Jones has submitted, and a case officer will then be in contact with him to advise further.”