A PLANNING committee is continuing its war against homes and extensions built without permission.

Yesterday, the Bradford area planning panel told a family they would not be allowed to keep a rear extension almost fully built on the back of their house, despite the applicants claiming they were misled by the first architect they had hired.

The Hussain family had applied for retrospective consent for a two-metre ground floor extension at the back of their home in Canford Road, Allerton, Bradford.

The planning panel heard the extension had been added to the end of an existing three-metre rear extension, giving a five-metre extension from the original back wall in total.

Planning officers had recommended the scheme for refusal, warning the latest addition was over-dominant and overshadowed the property next door.

At yesterday's meeting at City Hall, applicant Mrs Hussain, who did not give her first name, said the family had fallen victim to a rogue architect who had falsely told them he had got planning permission for the build.

She said they would not have gone ahead with the build if they had known they didn't have planning permission.

She said: "Mistakes were made, but not by me, by this architect. We trusted him."

The meeting heard Bradford Council had then served a planning enforcement notice on the family, who had gone on to employ the services of a legitimate architect, Andrew Redmile, to try to secure permission retrospectively.

Mr Redmile urged the panel to approve the application, saying the family's next-door neighbour supported the scheme.

He said: "He is eager for the building works to end."

He said the size of the extension was acceptable, according to the council's own planning guidelines.

But planning officer Mark Hutchinson disagreed, saying it did not comply with rules on preventing overshadowing and over-dominance of nearby homes.

He added: "The extension itself wouldn't provide any additional rooms. It would provide for a larger kitchen and a larger lounge, so it's not addressing overcrowding."

Committee chairman, Councillor Doreen Lee (Lab, Keighley East) said: "Although I have sympathies with the young lady, around her architect, that is why you do have to make sure you get somebody who is recognised as an architect.

"That is a lesson to be learnt."

The panel voted to refuse retrospective permission for the extension.

Cllr Lee added: "Retrospective planning is not allowed. We are cracking down on it, desperately.

"We hear what you are saying but make sure you get the right person to do the right job in future."

Unless the Hussain family appeals against the decision, they will now have to take down the extension.