Builder battles to keep half-built home in Leominster

The ongoing saga of a new house in a Herefordshire town that was not built as permitted has taken a new turn.

The almost complete building at Dukes Walk next to Leominster’s Etnam Street Car Park has been refused planning permission and is the subject of a planning enforcement notice.

In 2019, Herefordshire Council refused Martin Rohde’s retrospective application for planning permission for what was to be two two-storey semis, then issued an enforcement notice requiring the building to be demolished.

Mr Rohde’s appeal against this was dismissed. But he then submitted a further planning application to adapt the building as a single house, with lower eaves, that more closely matched an earlier plan approved in 2011 but not implemented.

This was again refused, Mr Rohde again appealed, and again had this dismissed.

He has now put forward a further planning application (number 240374) to revive the original 2011 approved scheme.

He is also seeking a lawful development certificate (application 240373) confirming that this permission was indeed lawfully begun shortly afterwards in the form of its foundations being laid.

But Leominster Civic Society now claims that this building work “did not occur within the specified time frame, rendering the 2011 application invalid”.

“The current building has been refused planning permission on several occasions and is the subject of an enforcement order and it is unclear why the order has not been enacted,” it said.

Neighbour Wayne Bird also disputed the timing of the foundation work, and added: “The construction is generally poor and over the last few years has deteriorated significantly, both inside and out, not helped by poor securing of the building site.”

He wrote in his objection: “I would hope that this new application is also rejected and this building is demolished as soon as possible.”

Comments on the two applications can be made via the Herefordshire Council website until March 28.