Homeowner is ordered to tear down ‘illegally built’ 40ft outbuilding at his £800,000 home – after council feared it could be turned into a house
A homeowner has been ordered to demolish a ‘large’ outbuilding built without planning permission after the council claimed it could be converted into a house.
Osman Osman, an electrical contractor from Wexham, Buckinghamshire, has been given six months to demolish the 12metre-tall structure in the garden of his £800,000 property – or face further action.
But Mr Osman insists the decision was ‘unfair’ because council officials acted in the ‘mistaken belief’ that the building had ‘its own garden area’ and could ‘easily form a ‘detached residential unit’.
He says the size of the structure is commensurate with his property and that it is intended to be used only partially as storage space and also as a home office.
However, local people stated that the size of the annex was ‘too large’, adding that it should be demolished.
Construction of the annex on Mr Osman’s property, located on protected Green Belt land, first began four years ago.
But the enforcement notice was only issued in February after Buckinghamshire Council was alerted to the development involving roof tiling.
Mr Osman submitted a retrospective planning application but this was rejected and a second application is currently being considered by the local authority.
Osman Osman is seen in front of the warehouse building he had built at the end of his garden, which the municipal council members wanted to be demolished.
Aerial view shows outbuilding being built at the end of the garden at the property in Wexham, Buckinghamshire
The municipality ordered the demolition of the exterior of Mr Osman’s property, which included an annexe
He told the Daily Mail: ‘The council refused permission for the extension on the grounds that it was too large.
‘Now I don’t understand this because as a rule you are allowed to build. [the equivalent of] 50 percent of your garden.
‘But the council says: ‘No, not in this area because it’s the Green Belt, that’s different.’
‘The only way we’d like to use it – I’m an electrical contractor and have loads of tools – is as storage on one side and an office on the other.
‘Not for residential purposes. ‘I wouldn’t want anyone living at the back of my garden.’
Mr Osman claims planning officers were confused about the building’s intended use when they saw fencing around the building during an inspection visit.
He says it was installed to prevent his grandchildren from entering the construction site, but officials interpreted it as evidence that the annex had its own separate yard and access.
Mr Osman said he was not at home at the time of the visit and therefore could not tell ‘the full story’.
He said: ‘When they saw that it was all fenced in, they thought about what a new house would be.
‘I wasn’t here when the council came so I couldn’t make a statement about the fence, so they issued a notice of refusal.
Mr. Osman said the size of the structure was commensurate with his property and was intended to be used only partially as storage space for his tools and also as a home office.
‘This was understandable but if they had asked the question I would have explained to them the reasons behind it.
‘We have no intention of letting anyone stay here. Right now there is no water, no electricity, nothing.
‘We didn’t think we would need planning permission and that’s why we never asked for it in the first place.’
Buckinghamshire Council said in its enforcement notice that the annexe was ‘not deemed to be attached to the main residence’ due to its scale and location.
He writes: ‘[The outbuilding] Due to its size and location, it is not considered to be connected to the main residence.
‘In addition, the annexe is served by its own access and its own separate garden area, fenced from the owner’s residence.
‘Accordingly, the outbuilding fails to be presented as a secondary element, presenting a clear conflict of local policy that gives importance to the location of the building and its relationship to the host dwelling.
‘For the above reasons, the development is considered to have a negative impact on the character and appearance of the host property and the wider area.’
Neighborhood residents also wanted the building to be demolished.
A neighbor who did not want to give his name said: ‘It’s a bit big. They maximized the building. ‘It is disproportionate in size.’
Another said: ‘There has been a lot of construction work on the road. Trucks and trucks were coming and going. It’s been going on for about a year.
‘If they don’t have permission they will have to demolish the annexe.’
A third added: ‘We are far from happy with this. You can see it on the side of the road.’
Peter Strachan, Deputy Leader of Buckinghamshire Council and Cabinet Member for Planning, said: ‘Buckinghamshire Council issued an Enforcement Notice on 18 February 2026 following the refusal of planning permission for the extension.
‘The owners had until 1 April 2026 to object to the Notice of Enforcement but did not do so.
‘The declaration requires the annexe to be demolished by October 1, 2026.’
