Dad fumes as neighbour’s nightmare renovations leaves fence in tatters

Sep 08, 2023 at 6:47 AM
Dad fumes as neighbour’s nightmare renovations leaves fence in tatters

Neighbourhood works have left a household in despair after deliberate works spilt into his property.

Gavin Simpson, 53, a longtime resident of Beckenham, South London, stated works greenlit by Adam Jude Grant, his Conservative councillor neighbour, have modified his avenue fully.

Mr Simpson has lived on Southend Road for 20 years and claimed the neighbouring house was offered to Mr Grant 5 years in the past.

In these 5 years, he claimed that the councillor – who’s listed on the property portal because the applicant behind housing redevelopments – has tried to transform the house right into a set of 11 and none flats earlier than authorities permitted a plan for seven.

The ensuing works have gone “a bit south”, Mr Simpson stated, with a number of incidents having occurred since they commenced.

Speaking to MyLondon, the dad stated the redevelopment has confirmed “frustrating”, particularly since heavy equipment arrived.

On one event, he claimed {that a} lorry knocked down a stone pillar on the finish of his driveway after reversing into it.

On one other, a digger crashed into his fence, punching a large gap within the wooden.

Pictures provided by the dad present a crumbled stack of bricks and uncovered black fence with constructing works clearly seen on the opposite aspect.

Mr Simpson stated extension works left a five-metre part of wall free standing by itself and that, whereas Mr Grant agreed to signal a written settlement to rebuild the wall, he’s but to observe by way of.

His household has “despaired” over the method of repairing their property and making certain they maintain their privateness.

He does not want to make an enemy of Mr Grant and stated he understands his want to hold out works on the property, however different neighbours have additionally expressed their discontent with the developments.

Mr Simpson stated that different neighbours have drawn difficulty with the developed house’s nonconforming color scheme.

He stated: “Some of the other neighbours have taken umbrage at the colours… The argument is the whole run of houses is 150 years old. All of them are white, all of them have these features, and suddenly you’ve got this anomaly in the middle.”

He added: “I’m more worried about what happened with us… The fact that we could have had a five-metre wall fall on us. The fact that we’ve now lost the privacy that we had before and that I’m in an argument with the planning people to reestablish, at my own costs, what I had before.”

Express.co.uk has contacted the councillor for remark.