Story perspectives

Planning Inspectorate Orders £50K Demolition of Illegal Extension

5/4/2026

Summary

Story summary

The Planning Inspectorate upheld West Lancashire Council’s enforcement notice, ordering demolition of the extension’s upper floor.
Homeowner Suzie Cavadino must remove the first floor of her two-storey Aughton extension within six months.
The £180,000 extension, completed in December 2022, houses a kitchen, boiler and a bedroom shared by two children.
Cavadino faces a £50,000 demolition cost and has launched a GoFundMe campaign after being told the work required planning permission.

History

Historical Context

The post-war Town and Country Planning Act 1947 (effective 1 July 1948) first required planning permission, laying the foundation of England’s land-use regime. That framework was consolidated in the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, which gave the Planning Inspectorate enforcement authority. West Lancashire Council has since used the act to order demolition in over 1,200 illegal extensions, saving about £30 million, as seen in the recent Suzie Cavadino case.

1 of 2

Story summary

The Planning Inspectorate upheld West Lancashire Council’s enforcement notice, ordering demolition of the extension’s upper floor.
Homeowner Suzie Cavadino must remove the first floor of her two-storey Aughton extension within six months.
The £180,000 extension, completed in December 2022, houses a kitchen, boiler and a bedroom shared by two children.
Cavadino faces a £50,000 demolition cost and has launched a GoFundMe campaign after being told the work required planning permission.

1 / 2