A mother who spent £170,000 building a two-storey annexe for her disabled daughter could now be forced to demolish it after losing a planning appeal. Clair Birch, 59, built the one-bedroom annexe in the garden of her semi-detached home in Worcester. She said the building was designed to give her daughter more independence and meet her specific needs.However, the annexe was built without planning permission. After the council rejected a retrospective application, Clair appealed the decision. She has now also lost a separate appeal asking for more time to comply with the enforcement notice.According to a report by SWNS, Clair must now either remove the unauthorised building or make changes to meet Worcester City Council’s requirements.
Why did Clair build the £170,000 annexe?
The annexe replaced an existing garage and outbuilding at the property. Clair said the project was carried out in good faith and that she believed the required planning paperwork had been submitted.A retrospective planning application for the one-bedroom annexe was submitted on March 6, 2025. Worcester City Council rejected it in November 2025.An appeal against that decision was dismissed on February 16, 2026. Clair said she was left facing the consequences of mistakes made by her builder and planner.“I’m liaising with my builder and planner who apparently has submitted all the correct paperwork,” she previously said.
‘It was built to meet my daughter’s needs’
Clair said her daughter wanted to live independently and that the annexe was designed around her needs.“She’s got a phobia of being on the ground floor at night, so we put a second floor in,” she said.“That building was built to meet my daughter’s needs. I was assured by someone who works in the department and my planner that it was all good.”Clair also said she had already lost £70,000 after an earlier builder allegedly left the property unstable.“My planner royally messed up. On one application he put it as an Airbnb, then he has done this,” she said.
Neighbours complain about the annexe
£170,000 annexe at risk: Mum Clair Birch could be forced to demolish the building she created for her disabled daughter after losing a planning appeal. (Photo: SWNS)
The large structure has caused tension with neighbours, some of whom have described it as an eyesore.One neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed the building was too close to the property boundary and had caused damage.“It’s not fit how she built that building anyway. At the end of the day, how they’ve built it is right on the line and it overhangs my property,” the neighbour said.“A lot of the damage on my property is still not fixed.”The neighbour also claimed the annexe looked like a separate property because it had been fenced off and had its own garden.“It is almost like another property up there, how they’ve fenced it off and kept it separate from the main building,” they said.Another resident questioned how the building had been constructed without planning permission.“Who builds a detached house in their back garden without getting permission first? It’s barmy. It looks like a bungalow which has been extended,” the resident said.A second neighbour said they initially thought the existing garage was simply being rebuilt.“I thought they were rebuilding the garage but it just kept on going,” they said.They also claimed the building affected privacy because residents could see into neighbouring gardens.
Planning inspector rejects request for 18 months
After losing the original planning appeal, Clair asked for more time to comply with the enforcement notice.A separate appeal to extend the compliance period from six months to 18 months was heard on August 12. However, planning inspector Sarah Hanson rejected the request.In her report, Hanson acknowledged Clair’s concerns about her daughter’s accommodation but said the personal circumstances did not change the planning decision.“The appellant considers that six months is insufficient because the building currently accommodates their daughter, who has specific needs,” Hanson wrote.She added that those circumstances did not alter the fact that the development had been found unacceptable on planning grounds.The inspector said the steps required under the enforcement notice were straightforward and included removing the unauthorised building and clearing the resulting materials.“No substantive evidence has been provided to demonstrate that those works could not reasonably be undertaken within six months,” Hanson stated.
Mum has until February 2027
Clair now has until February 2027 to comply with the enforcement notice.She will either have to demolish the unauthorised annexe or make changes that satisfy the council.The case has left Clair facing the possible loss of a building that she says was created specifically to give her disabled daughter a safe and independent place to live.According to the report, Clair declined to comment further when approached this week. Worcester City Council also declined to comment further.