logo
EXCLUSIVE Family blast 'jealous' neighbours who reported them to council over 'monstrosity' extension...but their new plans could make locals even angrier

EXCLUSIVE Family blast 'jealous' neighbours who reported them to council over 'monstrosity' extension...but their new plans could make locals even angrier

Daily Mail​22-06-2025
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.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Slough buses get £900k to improve services
Slough buses get £900k to improve services

BBC News

time25 minutes ago

  • BBC News

Slough buses get £900k to improve services

More than £900,000 has been approved by a council to improve a town's bus is part of a £2.2m investment in Slough where the borough council was previously awarded £1.3m by the Department for Transport (DfT).The authority said the full investment would fund better access to the town centre and a bus interchange service to Wexham Park Hospital and Heathrow Airport.A report to the council's cabinet recommended councillors approve the capital spending, saying it would lead to "a borough for children and young people to thrive" and "a town where residents can live happier, safer and more independent lives". The funding would also be used to upgrade traffic signals, improve services at two bus stops where bus arrivals are poor and shorten journey times, the council - which investing a further £63,000 in the scheme - said. There would also be reduced ticket prices for passengers who take multiple bus services for their journey, with more evening and Sunday services Paul Kelly, cabinet member for highways and transport, told Monday's meeting: "These combined measures represent a forward-thinking and exciting programme of investment and public transport in Slough."Working with our colleagues as well as our vital key stakeholders such as Heathrow Airport, Great Western Railway (GWR) and neighbouring local authorities we hope to make a significant improvement for those who need sustainable transport in our borough."Zero-emission buses might be purchased using the capital funding, as set out in the report, but the council has not yet committed to the plans. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.

Volunteers to reopen closed Chesterfield Canal visitor centre
Volunteers to reopen closed Chesterfield Canal visitor centre

BBC News

time27 minutes ago

  • BBC News

Volunteers to reopen closed Chesterfield Canal visitor centre

A visitor centre along Chesterfield Canal is to reopen two months after it was closed due to financial Lock Visitor Centre in Lockoford Lane recently acquired a new licence from Derbyshire County Council to resume operations and will open again on Saturday. The centre provides refreshments and information on the work and history of the canal, which stretches 46 miles from the River Trent in north Nottinghamshire to Chesterfield Canal Trust chair Peter Hardy said: "We have a dedicated group of volunteers who are going to come to our aid and man the building." Derbyshire County Council, which owns the building, announced in May it would be closing the information centre and café for financial reasons. Chesterfield Canal Trust was then successful in an application to lease the ground floor of the building to be solely run by volunteers. Mr Hardy said he was delighted to begin to get the centre back up and added: "We hope it will be successful and people will come to visit us."The centre will initially open between 10:00 to 15:00 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays but the trust aims for it to be open more often in future and offer more amenities.

Blind Plymouth business owner creates QR codes for menus
Blind Plymouth business owner creates QR codes for menus

BBC News

time27 minutes ago

  • BBC News

Blind Plymouth business owner creates QR codes for menus

A Devon business owner is hoping to make ordering at restaurants and cafés easier for blind people using QR Hulcoop - who has been blind since birth - set up his All Things Dotty business in 2023 to make Braille menus for venues across the 23-year-old from Plymouth's latest development has been to create QR codes which can give blind or visually-impaired diners an audio version of an eatery's menu so they do not have to rely on others to read out the Hulcoop has also launched a petition to ask the government to introduce legislation which would require all hospitality venues to have accessible menus. The QR codes are embossed with Braille, so visually-impaired customers can feel where the code is, scan it with their phone and listen to the menu at their Hulcoop said, in his experience, most visually impaired people - especially the younger generation - preferred to use added: "By scanning a QR code, it opens the restaurant up to a whole new world of people." Mr Hulcoop said when he asked some restaurant owners why they did not provide Braille or audio menus, their response was they do not think there was the demand. "My question to restaurants and cafes is how do you know whether you get a visually-impaired customer," he said."Not everybody uses a long cane or a guide dog, and people don't ask for an accessible menu because, let's face it, very, very few people had accessible menus available." The Boat House restaurant in Plymouth, which already offers customers Braille menus, is one of the first eateries to use a QR manager George Ford said: "I would say someone being visually-impaired or hearing-impaired is no different to having an allergen."We should always cater for it and make everyone feel as normal as possible."If you are visually-impaired and you are coming to a venue without a Braille menu or a large-print menu, you probably feel quite isolated."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store