Dr Onkar Sahota says his application is a 'sympathetic renovation'

An Ealing Labour politician, involved in a dispute over plans to extend his Haven Green house, is to appeal against a council ruling.

Dr Onkar Sahota, Ealing and Hillingdon GLA representative, bought the house on Castlebar Road in 2011 for £1.4million.

He has applied to extend the house sideways, to the rear, add a basement and a glass roof.

The 128-year-old house is in Ealing's Haven Green Conservation area, and local residents are furious with the proposals. They say they're highly detrimental to the area and are very concerned about damage to neighbouring properties.

More than a hundred objections were sent in, but Ealing planners recommended the application be approved.

However, at last week's planning committee a majority of Councillors voted against the building application.

They were particularly unhappy with the glass roof extension which they described as looking like a glass 'roof box'.

Dr Sahota is unhappy with the decision and will appeal. He says:

'' My architect put forward plans for sympathetic renovation to my future home for the needs of my family. Planning Officers recommended approval.

''It was my hope that with the plans approved, work could have begun in order for my children and I to move in before Christmas.

''I note the decision of the Planning Committee and I will follow due process and exercise my right to appeal this decision.

''Any suggestion that I would knowingly and willingly do damage to my neighbours or the local area is deeply and personally hurtful.''

He will now appeal via the Planning Inspectorate who appoint an inspector to determine the validity of the appeal and potentially award costs.

The Inspectorate offers this advice to applicants:

'' If your application for planning permission has been rejected we would encourage you to try to negotiate an amended scheme rather than submit an appeal.  Our records show that, on average, only about one appeal in three is successful. 

The appeal decision could take up to two months.

20th March 2013