Harrow Council is on a mission to tear down extensions that have been put up without proper planning permission. 

Recently, the council carried out a round of enforcement action across the borough, tackling businesses and residents who flouted planning rules. 

They tore down “tonnes” of fences and decking after warnings that they were not permitted had been ignored. Cllr Marilyn Ashton, lead councillor for planning and regeneration at Harrow Council, said it was part of the new Conservative administration’s plan to come down hard on rule breakers. 

She said: “The rules apply to everyone – if you flout them, you pay the price. That’s what happened to those who carried out works with no planning permission. 

“Not only is this unfair on those following the rules, but it can have an impact on neighbours and their quality of life. It is my intention to tackle this issue and put our residents first because this sort of behaviour will not be tolerated in Harrow. 

“This new administration is clear on our stance on this – we’re taking this seriously and we won’t hesitate to take action against anyone carrying out building work illegally.”

The council said there are a number of unauthorised extensions across Harrow and, if they are not removed after warnings are issued, it will be forced to take further action. 

It is the latest pledge aimed at tackling inappropriate buildings in Harrow. Upon taking power in May, the Tories vowed to protect Harrow's character through policies that will make it harder for “excessively tall” buildings to spring up in suburban areas. 

Cllr Ashton added: “I’ve been on the council since 1998, and I’ve always taken a great interest in planning and development issues. We’ve got a lot of work to do here in Harrow, not least that we need to adopt current policies to protect ourselves from inappropriate development. 

“I’m going to be working very hard to get this right, to try and stop all these tower blocks in our suburbs and to make Harrow a really great place to live.”