Do they have planning permission?

9.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 19th Sep 2008

In the past three or four months Cann Hall Ward has seen a dramatic increase in the number of former family homes being extended or converted into multiple flats. Many residents have complained to the Cann Hall FOCUS Team about properties suddenly having sometimes quite extensive works done, without any prior notice from the Planning Dept. to let local residents know what was going to happen. In many cases the Council does not know because the owners have not sought planning permission to either extend or convert. Many now refer to this as the unwanted Olympic legacy. In addition, small plots of land (often 'land locked') are being used to build new properties. This is happening in the most bizarre places. Lib Dem Cllr Keith Rayner and the Focus Team are clear this has to stop.

In the last three months some 18 of these developments have shown up. Many local residents who have contacted Cllr Keith Rayner have said the same thing - "Why spoil our area?" Keith agrees so much that the Council has now designated Cann Hall Ward as an area where this kind of practice has to be controlled, and family housing maintained. Residents' backing for this move is shown by the amount of emails and letters in support.

Keith says,"Please contact the Focus Team if you see a property being converted or extended in your area and we will let you know if it has planning permission and is a legal development"