A MAN who was given planning permission – only for the council to change their minds after it was built – has taken his fight to court.

Khalid Rashid, of Acacia Close, Stanmore, asked for Harrow Council’s approval to extend his living room and kitchen in 2013.

Neighbours logged no objections and he was given the go-ahead – but after it had been built, he was told he’d have to tear it down.

The news left the dad-of-two reeling as council officers themselves agreed it had been built within the guidelines during previous visits and in a report.

In 2015, they ordered him to knock it down but when he refused, they then suggested he apply for new planning permission.

Bizarrely, the authority said they “didn’t need to decide” on it.

Exasperated, he sought legal advice and a judge told Harrow Council they had to make a decision.

In the meantime, he is too afraid to pay for the extension to be decorated, leaving him in limbo.

At this stage, Mr Rashid is yet to receive an answer on his application and is considering further legal action to ensure that the Council responds.

“I’ve not been able to clear away the building materials from outside my home, I can’t put up curtains or lay down carpets,” he said.

“It breaks my heart to see my garden as it is – an untamed jungle. We’ve unnecessarily spent lots of money on legal fees and rented accommodation.

“My wife and I are on medication and we’ve had to move back in to an incomplete house.

“I’ve not done anything sneaky or underhand. I’m not a developer or a builder looking to make money, this is our family home.

“Now I’m asking for the issue can be solved, for the council to stop wasting money chasing this, and for there to be some sort of accountability from those who are meant to be in charge.” A spokesman for Harrow Council said it was working hard to find a solution and that the lack of correspondence between the terms of the application and the completed work was what led to the original dispute.

He said: “The extension, when built, was different to the design provided on the approved planning application.

“The built extension was in breach of planning control so we ordered its demolition. Right now, we are working with the resident on a new application, to ensure it is valid, so this issue can be brought to a close.”