A DEVASTATED widower has slammed his local council for showing "a complete lack of compassion" in its attempt to evict him from his bungalow.
Tony Edgar says the small building is "all I have left" following the death of his beloved wife.
The 55-year-old built the bungalow himself as an add-on to his main house.
But after losing his wife and suffering a stroke, the widower decided to live in the outbuilding full time and sell the main house which had become unsuitable.
In November, the ex-builder applied to the council to establish it as a permanent home but his proposal was rejected.
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Council officials informed Tony he could not reside in the property, originally approved for use as an outbuilding, as it is "at odds" with the "rhythm" of the street.
Tony, from Pakenham near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, said: "It's ridiculous - it shows a complete lack of compassion. I've lost everything - this is all I have left. I've lived here since 2017.
"You just can't talk to them at all. It's a classic case of councils spending time and money fighting things for no good reason. It's so frustrating."
The grandad-of-four explained he has difficulty walking since his stroke, and living in a home with stairs would be impossible.
He insists his bungalow "conforms to building regulations" and "meets all my physical needs".
"My application for change of use didn't even get as far as the planning committee. They just turned it down," he said.
"I have no income, no money, and I can't earn. If I have to move out they'll have to pay for me to be housed somewhere else. It just can't be cost-effective for them."
Tony and his late wife Joanne bought the house, called Newbury, in 2008 with plans to transform it into their dream home.
By 2010, Tony had built the bungalow, called Stanley Lodge, but later abandoned plans to renovate the main property due to his poor health.
I've been through hell and I only want to keep living in the home I've been in for years and that meets all my needs
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In 2017, after relying on his pension fund, the larger house was refurbished by professionals.
It was eventually sold in 2020 with Tony planning to continue living at Stanley Lodge.
PLANNING ROW
When Tony built the bungalow, he was granted planning permission from the council.
However, approval was granted on the grounds the property was to be used as an outbuilding.
Tony's application to turn it into a permanent dwelling was refused on February 9.
Council documents read: "The building is sited 40 metres back from the highway and is side facing, with the gable end being visible from the public realm of Fen Road, which is not a common characteristic of dwellings along Fen Road.
"Furthermore, with the setback nature of the building, the amenity land associated with the building would be located to the front of the site, which again, is not a common feature within Fen Road."
A West Suffolk Council spokesperson told The Sun: “We are sympathetic to the applicant’s personal situation, however we cannot take personal circumstance into consideration when determining a planning application, and the independent Planning Inspector is now proceeding with their appeal in regards to the enforcement notice.
"Enforcement officers visited the site in 2010 and numerous times afterwards. The building was originally constructed as an outbuilding and the owner was warned several times that it could not be used for independent residential use.
"Once it was clear in 2019 it was being used as a separate residence without planning permission an investigation followed and an enforcement notice was issued.
"An application to retain the building as a separate dwelling was recently refused. West Suffolk Council, as the Local Planning Authority is legally required to follow local development management policies and national planning policy framework.
"Due to the fact it is now going through the legal process of a planning appeal the Council cannot comment further and the matter will be determined by the Planning Inspectorate.”
FIGHTING BACK
An appeal against the enforcement notice has since been launched.
The investigation is now being undertaken by an independent Planning Inspector.
Tony said: "None of this makes any sense at all.
"I've been through hell and I only want to keep living in the home I've been in for years and that meets all my needs."
