Dad building dream home hit with £60,000 bill after Portsmouth City Council ‘ghosts’ him
A father-of-two was left “shocked” after Portsmouth City Council gave him verbal permission to start building his dream home and then hit him with a huge bill.
Graham Wrighton, 42, who runs his own brickwork company, received a claim for £61,832 after starting work on the four-bedroom family home.
Mr Wrighton said council officials had indicated planning approval would be sought in December 2025.
But he claims the council missed its own deadline and, 158 days later, has yet to receive any official communication or official planning permission.
The £61,832 bill is for the Community Infrastructure Levy, which applies to most new building projects and helps fund schools, roads and medical services close to developments. People who are building their own home may be exempt from this fee.
As Mr Wrighton began working at home after this date, he would have been entitled to an exemption from this tax if the council had granted planning permission as originally expected.
He said he had no choice but to start construction as soon as he could or he would lose his mortgage.
Mr Wrighton demolished the existing house in Drayton to make way for a new building.
The builder and bricklayer bought the property for £425,000 in October 2025, having spent around £100,000 so far and believes it could cost a further £200,000 to complete the work.
He lives in a static trailer in the backyard with his partner, Stacy Gillespie, and their son and daughter while the work continues.
“I’ve always had a passion for building my own home,” he said.
Mr Wrighton applied for planning permission immediately and said Portsmouth City Council’s case officer told him it would be approved with a deadline of December 2025.
Architect James Potter of James Potter Associates followed the council in the days before the December deadline, when they expected to start work because the council was “incredibly slow”.
But the deadline passed without any word from the council, according to Mr Wrighton and Mr Potter.
Mr Wrighton said: “Then I got on with it and I’ve been chasing and chasing ever since.”
Mr Wrighton said he needed to start working on transferring his mortgage.
Currently the house has a waterproof and solid roof but Mr Wrighton wants to start internal work so it can be completed by the end of the summer.
He said: “I feel like I’m done for because they want £61,000.
“I was shocked when I saw this happen. You can never trust anyone.”
“My lawyer called and texted the council many times but did not receive an official response. It is absolutely unbelievable to ignore the lawyer.
“James [Potter] We’ve talked to some councillors, but we don’t really think we’re going anywhere. His emails saying ‘You’re ignoring me’ were ignored. Of course he’s doing everything he can.”
Mr Wrighton admitted he understood the risks and consequences of starting work before planning permission had been formally obtained.
But he said: “This is our family home. My parents have been begging to move into their family home.”
Mr Potter said: “The council is trumping him, it’s evil.”
Mr Potter added: “Graham’s application was expected to receive permission in December 2025, but although the Council’s case officer confirmed the drawings were approvable months have passed and neither we nor his planning solicitor have been given a meaningful update.
“Such delays are unacceptably costly and cause great concern for applicants.
“The rules surrounding CIL exemptions are equally frustrating. Requiring applicants to formally notify the City of a start date or risk losing their exemption adds undue weight to procedural techniques that many ordinary homeowners do not understand.”
“The real issue should not be whether a form is submitted at the right time, but when development is completed so that the three-year time frame can be managed.
“The council rewards applicants for such mistakes with tens of thousands of pounds, and in Graham’s case the reward was £61,000.”
The City of Portsmouth has been contacted for comment.
