Latest news with #GarethLeek
Scottish Sun
25-06-2025
- General
- Scottish Sun
I went to war with council over ‘illegal' garden deck & WON thanks to Google Earth – they didn't have a leg to stand on
Homeowner used google earth time stamps to save his decking ON DECK I went to war with council over 'illegal' garden deck & WON thanks to Google Earth – they didn't have a leg to stand on A HOMEOWNER has won an ongoing row with the council over his decking, thanks to Google Earth. Gareth Leek, 58, was left stunned after planning officials claimed he needed retrospective permission for a garden decking that had been in place for eight years. Advertisement 6 Mr Leek used Google Earth to prove that he should be allowed to keep his decking Credit: WNS 6 According to the satellite images it had been in place for eight years Credit: WNS 6 The decking stands 83cm tall Credit: Google According to councillors, the raised grey and white platform stood too tall at 83cm high, which is half a metre over the limit requiring planning permission. But, instead of backing down, Mr Leek, who lives in Pontypool, Gwent, took to Google Earth to save his beloved decking. If an unauthorised extension has been in place for more than four years without enforcement action you may legally be allowed to keep it. The aerial snap provided by the app showed the decking firmly in place in June 2018. Advertisement This proof that it had been there for eight years meant that Mr Leek should legally be allowed to keep it. He was also backed up by a neighbour who claimed the decking was in place in the garden since at least 2019. A planning hearing heard Mr Leek had retrospectively applied for a certificate of lawful development. According to the MaileOnline, planning officer Simon Pritchard acknowledged the evidence presented by Mr Leek, which came complete with a Google Earth aerial image from June 2018. Advertisement Mr Pritchard said the council had no evidence or reason to doubt that the decking had not been 'substantially completed for less than four years' and Mr Leek was told he could keep it. This also isn't the first time technology has been used as evidence in planning rows. In 2023, Dorset Council used Google Earth to prove that a resident had illegally built a decking and an extension. Satellite photos were able to prove that Colin Thomas's claims that his decking had existed for more than four years, were false. Advertisement As a result, Mr Thomas now faces the prospect of demolishing his rear extension and raised decking. Earlier this month, Oldham Council also rejected a retrospective planning application over a porch extension that left neighbours in uproar. While Mr Leek's neighbor seemed to come out in support, The Khanom family faced backlash from the community and a £2,000 fine from the council for building a porch that locals claim resembled the Trafford centre. 6 This isn't the first time Google Earth has been used in planning rows Credit: WNS Advertisement 6 Mr Leek's evidence once over the council and he was told he could keep his beloved decking Credit: WNS 6 The decking measured 4.84m wide and 3.82m long Credit: WNS A Gloucester businessman was also locked in a bitter row with developers earlier this year, over a two brick high wall which he insisted belonged to him. Roger White, 58, went head to head with the developers of a new housing estate in April, after they revealed plans to knock down the wall to create an emergency access route, required in their planning permission. Advertisement With both parties declaring ownership, White has been left feeling as if they want to 'bulldoze' the wall that he claims he inherited from his father in 1997.
The Sun
25-06-2025
- General
- The Sun
I went to war with council over ‘illegal' garden deck & WON thanks to Google Earth – they didn't have a leg to stand on
A HOMEOWNER has won an ongoing row with the council over his decking, thanks to Google Earth. Gareth Leek, 58, was left stunned after planning officials claimed he needed retrospective permission for a garden decking that had been in place for eight years. 6 6 6 According to councillors, the raised grey and white platform stood too tall at 83cm high, which is half a metre over the limit requiring planning permission. But, instead of backing down, Mr Leek, who lives in Pontypool, Gwent, took to Google Earth to save his beloved decking. If an unauthorised extension has been in place for more than four years without enforcement action you may legally be allowed to keep it. The aerial snap provided by the app showed the decking firmly in place in June 2018. This proof that it had been there for eight years meant that Mr Leek should legally be allowed to keep it. He was also backed up by a neighbour who claimed the decking was in place in the garden since at least 2019. A planning hearing heard Mr Leek had retrospectively applied for a certificate of lawful development. According to the MaileOnline, planning officer Simon Pritchard acknowledged the evidence presented by Mr Leek, which came complete with a Google Earth aerial image from June 2018. Mr Pritchard said the council had no evidence or reason to doubt that the decking had not been 'substantially completed for less than four years' and Mr Leek was told he could keep it. This also isn't the first time technology has been used as evidence in planning rows. In 2023, Dorset Council used Google Earth to prove that a resident had illegally built a decking and an extension. Satellite photos were able to prove that Colin Thomas's claims that his decking had existed for more than four years, were false. As a result, Mr Thomas now faces the prospect of demolishing his rear extension and raised decking. Earlier this month, Oldham Council also rejected a retrospective planning application over a porch extension that left neighbours in uproar. While Mr Leek's neighbor seemed to come out in support, The Khanom family faced backlash from the community and a £2,000 fine from the council for building a porch that locals claim resembled the Trafford centre. 6 6 6 A Gloucester businessman was also locked in a bitter row with developers earlier this year, over a two brick high wall which he insisted belonged to him. Roger White, 58, went head to head with the developers of a new housing estate in April, after they revealed plans to knock down the wall to create an emergency access route, required in their planning permission. With both parties declaring ownership, White has been left feeling as if they want to 'bulldoze' the wall that he claims he inherited from his father in 1997. What are your rights in this situation? If the council refuse planning permission you can appeal their decision. Appeals can take several months to be decided. You can only appeal against a decision if the LPA: Refuses your application Grants permission but with conditions you object to Refuses to change or remove a condition of planning permission that has been granted with conditions Refuses to approve something reserved under an 'outline permission' – planning permission for a general idea, not of a specific plan Refuses to approve something that you were told to build by your LPA as part of a previous planning permission – the current development was one of the 'conditions' stated in the previous planning permission Does not make a decision on the application within the deadline and does not get your written consent to change the deadline serves you with an enforcement notice because it thinks you have broken planning permission and you do not agree
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Homeowner uses Google Earth to prove he can keep his garden decking
A homeowner who was told the decking in his garden was too high has won his battle with planners by using Google Earth to prove his case. Gareth Leek, 58, was told he needed planning permission for the decking at his home in Pontypool, Gwent, Wales – despite it being built eight years ago. Planning officials told Leek that the decking, that sits 83cm off the ground, was half a metre over the height that required building permission from the council. But rather than simply accepting the decision, Leek went on Google Earth and obtained satellite images that showed the decking had been in place for four years without any challenge. A neighbour also supported Leek, telling officials that the decking – which is 4.84m wide and 3.82m long –had been in place in the garden since at least 2019. A planning hearing heard Leek had retrospectively applied for a certificate of lawful development and he was legally allowed to stop the grey and white decking from being ripped out. Planning officer Simon Pritchard acknowledged the evidence presented by Leek, which included a Google Earth aerial image from June 2018. Pritchard said the council had no evidence or reason to doubt that the decking had not been 'substantially completed for less than four years'. His report confirmed Leek's application to keep his smart decking is now immune from enforcement action. Installing decking in your garden often falls under permitted development, meaning planning permission is typically not required if specific conditions are met. According to guidance from the Planning Portal, decking can proceed without permission if it is no more than 30cm above ground level and, combined with other extensions or outbuildings, covers less than 50% of the garden area. The decking must also not be positioned forward of the principal elevation of the house, typically the front wall facing a road. However, planning permission is necessary in certain cases. If the decking exceeds 30cm in height or covers more than 50% of the garden, an application is needed. Additionally, if the decking is within 20 metres of a highway or impacts neighbours' privacy, such as by enabling overlooking, permission is required. To apply for planning permission, people must submit an application through the Planning Portal website or contact your local planning authority directly. The process requires detailed plans, including measurements and the decking's location on your property, along with an assessment of its impact on the local environment and neighbouring properties. Applications typically take up to eight weeks to process and may involve a fee, around £200. Consulting with neighbours beforehand can help address concerns – their objections could influence the final decision so this is an important step. Click below to see the latest Wales headlines
Daily Mail
25-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Homeowner wins planning row with council over his 'rule-breaking garden decking' - after taking to Google Earth for help
A homeowner has won a planning battle with his council after he was told the platform was too high and that he needed planning permission - with help from Google Earth. Gareth Leek, 58, was left stunned when planning officials claimed his beloved garden decking was too tall and needed retrospective permission, despite it being in place for eight years. Council busybodies argued the raised grey-and-white platform in his Pontypool, Gwent, garden stood 83cm high. This is a whole half a metre over the limit requiring planning permission. But Mr Leek wasn't about to let his pride-and-joy be torn up without a fight. Instead of backing down, he went high-tech, digging out satellite images from Google Earth to prove the decking had been there for over four years, meaning he should legally be allowed to keep it. The decksaving aerial snap, dated June 2018, showed the decking firmly in place. His decking 4.84m wide and 3.82m long was saved in his garden in Pontypool, Gwent. He was also backed up by a neighbour supporting him keeping the decking, saying it was in place in the garden since at least 2019. A planning hearing heard Mr Leek had retrospectively applied for a certificate of lawful development. Planning officer Simon Pritchard acknowledged the evidence presented by Mr Leek, which included a Google Earth aerial image from June 2018. Mr Pritchard said the council had no evidence or reason to doubt that the decking had not been 'substantially completed for less than four years'. Mr Pritchard's report confirmed his application to keep his smart decking is now immune from enforcement action, and he can keep it. It's not the first time the technology has been used in evidence in planning rows. In 2023, a homeowner was told he had to tear down his decking and extension after council officials used Google Earth to prove that he built them illegally. Colin Thomas, 65, tried to use a loophole in planning law to keep the two structures at the front and rear of his terraced house in Portland, Dorset. He 'solemnly and sincerely declared' that the raised decking in the front of his house and the single-storey extension at the rear existed for more than four years - making it exempt from council planner's bids to remove them. Mr Thomas alleged that the 20ft by 16ft raised decking and rear extension had built soon after he bought the property in 2012, a claim that was backed by his builder and friends. But Google Earth and Street View satellite photographs taken in September 2020 have revealed that the rear extension and decking were not present three years ago. Officials have now determined he had not obtained planning permission for the works and wrongly thought they came under permitted development rights for homeowners. Mr Thomas applied to the local council to make both structures lawful under the rule that recognises any changes to a property that have been in place for four years are exempt from enforcement action. As a result Dorset Council refused Mr Thomas's application and he now faces the prospect of demolishing both the rear extension and the raised decking. Planning officer Thomas Wild, who had looked up the property on Google Earth and Google Street view, concluded: ' does allow for a conclusion that the rear extension was constructed between September 2020 and June 2022. 'Therefore it has been present for less than four years and has not achieved immunity from enforcement action on that basis.' With regards to the raised deck at the front of the house, Mr Wild found the structure was there in Google photos taken in 2016 and 2021. But he found this was a different decking to the one that stands today. He said the original decking was timber but the present structure is made from composite boards that have been topped with artificial grass. He also worked out that the replacement decking was bigger than the original. Mr Wild said that although it was 'accepted that by around 2016 the original timber decking had become immune from enforcement action, that immunity was lost when the decking was removed'. He added: 'The construction of the decking are fresh breaches of planning control which do not benefit from previously accrued immunity.' A spokesperson for Dorset Council said: 'The evidence available from Google Street View images indicates that the decking currently on the site is different from the decking constructed in 2012, which the council accepts did achieve immunity from enforcement, but which was subsequently removed. 'The new decking is larger, with a different design, incorporating a garage underneath it and is therefore considered to be a new breach of planning control.
BBC News
23-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Pontypool homeowner uses Google Earth to win decking planning row
A homeowner has used Google Earth to keep decking he built in his garden after a planning permission dispute with a council. Gareth William Leek, from Pontypool, Torfaen, had been told a planning application was required for his decking years after it was built because it was about 50cm (20in) too far off the ground. Decking more than 30cm (12in) requires planning permission, but local authorities must take action within four years for most developments. A planning officer concluded there was no reason to doubt the decking had not been "substantially completed" for less than four years and Mr Leek's certificate of lawful development was granted. The application stated the decking had been completed in October 2017 and a statement from a neighbour supported Mr Leek's claim it had been built since at least 2019, when they moved to St Augustine Road in Griffithstown, Pontypool. As part of his evidence, Mr Leek also dug out old photographs dating back to August 2017, when the raised wooden platform was constructed. The council planning department said the 4.84m wide, and 3.82m long, light grey composite decking was 83cm from the ground level, meaning it is just over half a metre over the height that requires planning approval, which is 30cm. Planning officer Simon Pritchard said the council accepted the evidence put forward by Mr Leek which included a Google Earth aerial photograph from June Pritchard said the council did not have any evidence itself, or from anyone else, to contradict the information provided.
