A family say they are being forced to consider moving home after their next-door neighbours allegedly ignored planning restrictions and lit up their home 'like Blackpool Illuminations'.
Christian Geisselmann, who has lived at Thorneyholme Hall Farm in Dunsop, Lancashire, with his wife and two children for five years, has been embroiled in a long-running planning row with Ribble Valley Borough Council since his next-door neighbour began work on an extension to Thorneyholme Hall.
LancsLive revealed how a series of planning applications, some retrospective, had been submitted to the council by Michael Reilly, the owner of Thorneyholme Hall, with council bosses now saying they are poised to launch enforcement proceedings after the building failed to stick to the approved plans and conditions.
Christian, who himself works in local government and is originally from Cumbria, alleges that the council 'favours the select and privileged few which are often the wealthy who seem to be untouchable'. He has made several complaints regarding what he claims are planning breaches, as well as to the Local Government Ombudsman, but so far has been unsatisfied with the response.
In one formal objection to a recent planning application from his neighbour Christian said: "The applicant has erected a scheme with no consideration for his fellow neighbours and selfishly decided to just go ahead and turn Thorneyholme Hall into Blackpool Illuminations without any consideration for the impact that this style of light, number of lights and brightness will have."
Christian claims that lighting at Thorneyholme Hall, which was installed three years ago, has forced him to fully close the blinds in the evenings. "It's been a living nightmare," the 45-year-old added. "What I find really bizarre is the council seem to allow some big developments without a second thought and then refuse really minor applications."
Christian says that his frustration at the lack of action from council officials has led him to seriously consider moving house. He says the upheaval will involve his two young children being forced to change schools but their quality of life is being impacted by the ongoing saga.
In a statement Ribble Valley Borough Council’s director of economic development and planning, Nicola Hopkins, said: “We have been in extensive contact with the agent acting on behalf of the owners of Thorneyholme Hall to regularise matters at the site and the agent has recently entered into pre-application discussions with us regarding an alternative use for the main house and detached building.
“I have advised the agent that an application for the site is required before the end of September, or formal enforcement proceedings will start in respect of the detached building. The Local Government Ombudsman has found no evidence of fault on behalf of the council during three separate investigations into this matter.”
LancsLive has attempted to contact Michael Reilly, the owner of Thorneyholme Hall, through his family firm John Reilly Civil Engineering, based in Chorley, but he has not returned our calls.
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