Father behind eyesore monster mansion finally tears it down three years after the council ordered it to be demolished as neighbour claims her home is now unsellable due to the fiasco

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A father who built an 'eyesore' monster mansion without planning permission has finally demolished it, but neighbours claim the mess left behind has made their homes unsellable.

Delivery driver Gurwinder Singh, was granted permission to build a modest extension to his semi-detached 1960s home in Willenhall, West Midlands, back in 2020 but instead he bulldozed the whole house to rebuild a four-bedroom home.

He was ordered to tear down the half-built £300,000 home by Walsall Council in 2020 following almost 100 complaints from fuming neighbours on Sandringham Avenue.

Residents said the building work had made their 'lives hell' and others described the 'eyesore' as 'like a Travelodge in the middle of a housing estate'.

Mr Singh, 43, appealed to the council's Planning Inspectorate but they dismissed the appeal and ordered him to bulldoze the property by April 7.

Father Gurwinder Singh has finally demolished the 'eyesore' monster mansion, but neighbours claim the mess left behind has made their homes unsellable

Mr Singh was ordered to tear down the half-built £300,000 home (pictured) by Walsall Council following almost 100 complaints from fuming neighbours on Sandringham Avenue

Residents said the building work had made their 'lives hell' and others described the 'eyesore' as 'like a Travelodge in the middle of a housing estate'

The dad-of-two has since demolished the illegal building - but left behind piles of rubble and building materials, which he has failed to tidy up.

He now faces possible court action for failing to comply with the enforcement notice following the four-year row.

A councillor said the local authority is now looking to prosecute him over the mess. 

Next-door neighbour Pat Harding, 76, a grandmother-of-one, claimed her house has been left damaged and unsellable - with one wall now exposed to the elements.

She said: 'I was even sat reading a book on my bed one time and an RSJ (rolled steel joist) came through my bedroom wall.

'They also put holes in my living room wall that I could see out of. I could just look out into the building site.

'But they never seemed to think it was a problem. There has been no respect shown from the start.

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The 'monster mansion' pictured while it was being constructed and now after it has been torn down

The original 1960's property before the construction work on the monster mansion began

Grandfather-of-four Cliff Stevenson, 84, a retired mechanic, lives opposite the house and branded it 'an appalling eyesore'

The dad-of-two Mr Singh has since demolished the illegal building - but left behind piles of rubble and building materials, which he has failed to tidy up

Other locals living in the area say the mess left behind by Mr Singh has left the residential estate looking like 'a construction site in the middle of Birmingham'

Next-door neighbour Pat Harding, 76, a grandmother-of-one, claimed her house has been left damaged and unsellable - with one wall now exposed to the elements

The next-door neighbour has claimed damage was done to her property by Mr Singh's works

'My chimney has been left balanced by the gallows brackets and I've been told it's unsafe and I should move out.

'But I'm not going to move out of my home, why should I?

'They have also caused damage to my wall and they have just covered it with plastic sheeting held down with wooden batons.

'I've had two winters where it was 11c inside my house. I've had barely any insulation and they have just left it like this.

'There's building materials strewn all over the place and they have not repaired the damage to my home.

'I have rising damp because of no drainage and guttering. It's been a nightmare.

'They just don't seem to care and it has taken it has taken its toll on me.

'When it began I had just had cancer surgery. I really don't need this stress at almost 77 years old.

'I could not sell this home if I wanted to. It's missing a wall on one side.'

Mr Singh now faces possible court action for failing to comply with the enforcement notice following the four-year row. Pictured: Tory councillor Stacie Elson at the site of the house

Councillor Stacie Elson said the council were now looking to prosecute Mr Singh because the deadline on the enforcement notice had passed

Another resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said: 'We can't believe this saga is still going on - it's a joke and been a living hell'

The home was half-built when Mr Singh was ordered to tear it down

Pictures from the scene show lumps of lumber and debris lying around

Other locals living in the area say the mess left behind by Mr Singh has left the residential estate looking like 'a construction site in the middle of Birmingham'.

Grandfather-of-four Cliff Stevenson, 84, a retired mechanic, lives opposite the house and branded it 'an appalling eyesore'.

He said: 'We've got the house knocked down finally but now the problem is all the mess and these great big boards he has erected.

'It also causes a problem for the traffic because it blocks people's view on the corner - it's really quite dangerous.

'I live opposite so have to look at it every single day and it's an appalling eyesore. It has been a nightmare for everyone living on the estate.

'The gentleman has never spoken to us about it, the only time you would see him was when building work was going on, which was disruptive enough.

'It was left half built and kids would jump over the fences and go and play in there. It's just been a building site really.

'We'll get there eventually hopefully but it seems like it's never-ending. It has just been terrible.'

Another resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said: 'We can't believe this saga is still going on - it's a joke and been a living hell.

'The house is now gone, thank goodness, but it looks just as bad, if not worse, due to the mess he has left behind.

'Our road looks like a construction site in the middle of Birmingham at the moment. It needs sorting out because it's beyond a joke now.'

It is thought the brand new house Mr Singh wanted to construct would have cost in the region of £300,000 to build - and would have been the biggest property in the area. Pictured during its construction 

The property pictured in December last year while works were being carried out to demolish it 

Workers pictured in December demolishing the structure, much to relief of surrounding residents in Sandringham Avenue

Workmen tearing down the building after the order by Walsall Council

A third local, who did not want to be named, added: 'The council should never have let it get to the size it did in the first place.

'It was enormous and looked ridiculous. Now there's building materials strewn around the place and the site needs clearing.

'He wants to rebuild it again. It's going to have cost them a fortune by the time he's built two houses.'

It is thought the brand new house Mr Singh wanted to construct would have cost in the region of £300,000 to build - and would have been the biggest property in the area. 

When enforcement got involved, two retrospective planning applications were submitted - the first of which was withdrawn and the second refused.

He was then given a series of five deadlines, with the first giving him until October 7 to demolish the building.

He was also given until November 7 to stabilise the adjoining property and remove all below ground works by December 7.

Tory councillor Stacie Elson said the council were now looking to prosecute Mr Singh because the deadline had passed.

She added: 'I know the council is now taking legal advice whether to now prosecute him for failing to comply with the enforcement notice.

'If he has actively breached the notice then he could be prosecuted as the site should have been cleared up by now as the deadline has passed.

'He has complied with the demolition order but he has not cleared the site.

'An enforcement officer has been down there to take photos and these will now be submitted to our legal services department who will advise the next steps.'

A Walsall Council spokesperson said: 'The council is monitoring the situation to ensure all actions in the enforcement notice are complied with.'