A HOMEOWNER is set to be told to demolish an outbuilding built without planning permission, despite a senior councillor’s pleas for lenience.

Southend Council is continuing its crackdown on unauthorised work taking place in the borough and is planning to take enforcement action against a resident living in Belle Vue Avenue.

The homeowner has built a large outbuilding behind their home which is being used as storage.

Councillors on the development control committee have been recommended to approve enforcement action, despite two letters of support from neighbours.

Matt Dent (inset), Labour councillor for Kursaal ward, has branded the recommendation as “excessive” and plans to speak in support of the resident at next Wednesday’s meeting.

He said: “I am going to be at this meeting supporting resident, as in my opinion, this is a bit excessive.

“This resident has, in good faith, erected this in their garden to enable them to work from home, keep up and earn a living.

“I feel refusing it and then issuing enforcing action is excessive.”

Ahead of the meeting, councillor officers have recommended that a retrospective planning application is rejected before enforcement action is approved.

The large outbuilding is 2 metres wide, 5.6 metres deep, and 2.7 metres high.

The report states that due to “significant harm” caused by the unauthorised building, it is considered necessary to seek an enforcement notice.

Planning officers add: “Enforcement action in this case will reasonably require the removal of the outbuilding.

“It is considered that there are no lesser steps that could reasonably remedy the identified breach or associated harm in this instance.

“The development significantly harms the character and appearance of the site, and the wider rear garden scene due to its position and its excessive size and scale, coupled with its external appearance which creates a feature which is dominant and over scaled.”

The development control committee will make a decision at the meeting next Wednesday.