Overview
- The Planning Inspectorate refused a request to extend the enforcement compliance period and said six months is enough time to carry out the required works, leaving Ms Birch until February 2027 to demolish or amend the annexe.
- The annexe was built without permission and a retrospective application was lodged on March 6, 2025; Worcester City Council refused permission in November 2025 and a separate appeal against that decision was dismissed on February 16, 2026.
- Ms Birch spent about £170,000 on the two‑storey, one‑bed annexe to house her disabled daughter and argued an 18‑month compliance window was needed to secure alternative adapted accommodation.
- Neighbours have complained the building sits close to boundaries, reduces privacy, and operates like a separate property with its own fenced garden, while Ms Birch says she was misadvised by builders and planners and has suffered financial loss.
- The ruling highlights that inspectors weigh personal circumstances but will not override planning merits, and it leaves open a practical route for the council to grant more time only if it chooses under Section 173A, with real risk that the adapted accommodation will be lost if changes are not made.