A hotelier has been told an extra storey built without permission on top of the penthouse flat he lets out in Kemp Town must be ripped down.
David Ince advertises the fantastic views from the penthouse of the four storey building in Charlotte Street, which has four bedrooms and two bathrooms.
But the extra storey on top of the third floor flat does not have planning permission, and Brighton and Hove City Council have issued a notice requiring it to be taken down within a year.
In the listing for the flat on booking.com, Mr Ince says: “The property is a beautiful four story building with a basement. It’s right next to the heart of the lively kemp town area and close to Brighton favourites, the pier and the marina.
“I have been a tennis coaching for most of my life and now have ventured into the hospitality business and loving it!”
The listing says the penthouse has been available on booking.com since August 2017.
The planning notice was served on the property on 8 December last year, and came into effect on 12 January this year. It says the extra storey must come down by 12 January, 2022.
It also says the pitched roof must be reinstated to its previous design and dimensions, using similar materials to match the previous roof.
An unauthorised balcony area to the rear of the property and a new door opening out onto it must also be removed, and the wall reinstated.
The freehold to 15 Charlotte Street is owned by Michael Robert Ince and Julie Brenda Ince of Bigwood Avenue, Hove, who bought it in 2007.
The owner’s description is shoddy. For one thing, “four story”.
That’s an expensive cock up isn’t it!
Why on earth did he go ahead with the work without seeking planning permission? Was it due to ignorance or just plain arrogance?
what is wrong with an attic at the top? many have them in that area. the only wrong with it seems the fact that it did not apply for planning permission. and spelling is not a planning matter.
Duh you have answered your own question.
He did what he wanted without getting permission.
So now it must be ripped down. Silly him.
There may be nothing wrong with it as a structure but if built without planning permission then to allow it to remain would set a precedent.
If the regulations were not enforced then before long who knows how many other structures would be added to various properties in the area, some of which would possibly be unsafe and/or inappropriate?
The rules are clear; to build an extension you need planning permission. Inconvenient and annoying though that may be, the principle applies throughout the entire country.
The owner decided to ignore those rules and chose to risk the consequences knowing full well what they might be. Not that I’ve got a lot of time for bureaucracy but in this case there seems little or no defence against those consequences.