TV property expert Claudia Hearne is facing a significant expense to alter a corner of her home's roof after a five-year planning dispute with Hounslow Council. Hearne, a regular commentator on Channel 5's Jeremy Vine show, and her husband Nick had already navigated a protracted battle over their £1 million west London home's rear extension, which at one point risked demolition.
Despite securing retrospective planning permission for the main extension, the couple must now comply with a new requirement to tweak a specific corner of the roof. An inspector ruled that this alteration would be a less destructive solution than initially demanded, but Hearne estimates the work will cost tens of thousands of pounds.
The original planning approval was for a single-storey rear extension with a flat roof. According to Hearne, contractors encountered difficulties in joining the new flat roof to the house's original pitched roof in a manner that fully complied with building regulations. She claims a council planning officer indicated that a slight adjustment to the roof corner would be acceptable without requiring a new planning application.
The planning saga intensified in February 2022 with objections from a neighbor. Subsequent attempts to resolve the discrepancy through further planning applications were rejected. Hearne stated that she had been assured by a council planning officer that minor deviations were within a tolerance level and that no new permission was needed.
This dispute arose amid a broader context of planning disagreements within the area, with Hearne suggesting a small group of residents are making numerous complaints. She described instances of receiving anonymous, intimidating phone calls and alleged that the neighbor who initially raised objections also made claims about property boundaries, roof height measurements, and even the removal of air bricks. The neighbor also reportedly objected to the use of pebble-dashed walls, the style of the front door, and the landscaping of the front garden, which later won awards.
Hearne also recounted facing accusations of running a business from her home without paying business rates, which she states were false and dismissed by both the local authority and HMRC after council staff indicated awareness of the situation. She described the complaints as a "personal attack" but noted that other residents on the estate had also received late planning enforcement notices.
A Hounslow Council spokesperson stated that the council finds no evidence of inconsistency in how planning applications or enforcement matters are handled. The spokesperson added that decisions and actions are taken in accordance with planning legislation, policy, and procedure, and that residents can utilize the council's complaints process or refer matters to an ombudsman. The council is unable to comment on individual cases due to confidentiality.