A BUNGALOW built without planning permission has been demolished after a ten-year dispute.
Jim Bradwell, of Evenwood Gate, near Bishop Auckland, first applied for permission to build a bungalow on his land in 2007.
Despite being denied permission, he built the Newmoor Yard Cottage and has since refused orders to demolish it.
The bungalow was demolished by Durham County Council on Wednesday.
It is understood that Mr Bradwell is currently in jail after a six-month prison sentence, which was suspended on the basis that he complied with an enforcement notice on the site, was activated at a High Court hearing in Leeds.
Stuart Timmiss, Durham County Council’s head of development and housing, said: “We have tried incredibly hard to work with Mr Bradwell and to avoid taking the action we have taken today. It is not a decision we have taken lightly but we have considered a number of factors including the knowledge that Mr Bradwell has been rehoused nearby. This has been an incredibly lengthy process and we feel today’s action is the only way to bring the matter to a close.
“Mr Bradwell began construction on the bungalow before a planning application was determined. In April 2007, he was refused planning permission by Teesdale District Council. However, he continued work on the property regardless and enforcement action began in September 2008. The original decision to refuse permissions was subsequently upheld by the Planning Inspectorate and the High Court.
“Since then, Mr Bradwell has made a number of legal challenges against the decision and on each occasion our position has been upheld by the courts.
“Furthermore, Mr Bradwell has previously pleaded guilty to failing to comply with the enforcement notice and received a fine from the court.
“We have met with Mr Bradwell face to face a number of times to discuss his situation and, at one stage, even offered him an extension on the time he had to comply with the enforcement notice.
“However, failure to comply with a court order requiring compliance with an enforcement notice is a serious matter and people simply cannot be allowed to build houses with disregard for the need for planning permission and the view of the court."
Fellow resident Edward Shaw said: “It’s ridiculous.
“The bungalow isn’t affecting or harming anybody."
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