A THREE-YEAR row over an unauthorised extension to a family home rumbles on after the owner admitted he had already demolished most of the house without permission.

Harminder Singh Reehal received the green light to add a handful of extensions to a home in Barnfordhill Close, Oldbury, in 2021 - but after several failed attempts to get permission for a two-storey extension – built it anyway. 

Sandwell Council’s planning committee was due to decide on the latest proposals for the family home, which included a first-floor side extension, single-storey side extension and single and two-storey rear extensions, but quickly abandoned the debate after Mr Reehal threw a spanner in the works and revealed only one of the home’s original walls was still in place. 

Under the latest application by Mr Reehal, the side extension, which had originally intended to be two-storeys, but was criticised by the council’s planners and rejected, would have stayed in place.

A separate extension, that was also built without permission, would have been demolished. 

A roadside grass verge would be reinstated and a new perimeter fence would also have been built.

Mr Reehal apologised to his neighbours at the planning meeting on March 27 saying work was taking longer than expected.

He said: “We just want to improve the area and get on. 

“It’s a family house, my mom and dad are supposed to come in and that’s why we want to extend the house… I just want to look after my mom and dad.”

Mr Reehal then told the committee he had demolished all but one of the walls on the original building, which led to the council’s solicitor recommending an immediate deferral. 

“From what the applicant has just said, he has pretty much demolished his original building in which case it puts into doubt the 2021 permission and also puts into doubt everything you are reading tonight,” he said.

Cllr Ellen Fenton said she was “very uncomfortable” deciding on an extension when it appeared to be a “complete new build with one external wall from an old building.”

The council said the removal of the grass verge and “substantial” groundwork on the unauthorised extension was carried out in early 2023 and an enforcement case was opened by the council in March.

Ahead of the meeting, Sandwell Council’s planning officers had recommended the application should be approved.