建筑工人很生气当他的计划转换n old pizzeria into a house were refused, he installed a ‘grotesque’ resembling the council leader.
Michael Thomas, 71, aimed to turn the eatery into a three-storey, seven-bedroom home, but hisplanning permissionwas rejected by leaders at Trowbridge Town Council in Wiltshire.
Cllr Stewart Palmen objected to the project and put an enforcement notice in place to halt construction work after claiming Mr Thomas had a "vendetta against myself".
为什么建造者建造的吗?
The builder put up the grotesque, which shows the local politician wearing half-moon spectacles and sticking his tongue out, after his plans were refused by Trowbridge Town Council.
Cllr Palmen told theIndependent: “It’s just been quite amusing. He just started constructing [the HMO] without any planning permission in 2020.
“I reported him to enforcement and in the end, he applied, and it was refused along with his appeals. He’s taken it quite personally and believes the council have dobbed him in."
Palmen added: “He seems to have a vendetta against myself – but I quite like the [grotesque] and would love for it to stay. I don’t have an issue with it but there is a serious side to it, there’s a court date on the fact he hasn’t returned the building to what it was.”
Why was planning permission refused?
Planning permission was refusedby the council after claiming the conversion “detracts from the character and appearance of the area”.
The decision notice added: “It would have a prominent and immediate presence in the street which would erode the coherent appearance of theconservation areaand appear disproportionate to the adjacent modest two-storey dwelling.
“The largely blank north-western elevation would have an obvious presence that would deflect attention away from the listed weaver's houses when proceeding along Newtown from the northwest.
“Taking these factors together, the proposal would be an insensitive addition in this context. I consider that the CA and listed weaver's houses are intrinsic to the quality of the existing townscape.”
Builder protested the decision with banner too
After planning permission was refused in May, Mr Thomas launched a protest against the council by attaching a banner to the scaffolding attached to the building.
The banner read: “Wiltshire council invests time and energy in green field developments and long developers outside and around Trowbridge at a profit while actively hindering small building developers trying to fill a need for accommodation for those who do not qualify for the more expensive out of town accommodation.”
He told media outlets at the time: “If council officers are not following the rules, why should I? I am going to carry on building against their order and allow them to take me to court.”
Mr Thomas has continued his work and it remains to be seen what the council will do in response.
Homebuilding & Renovating has contacted Mr Thomas for comment.
