House plan squeezed out

PLANS to squeeze a house between two rows of terraces have been shelved - because the developers have discovered they don’t own the land’s freehold.

Mark Leighton, who lives at 78 Clarksfield Road, would have had only a 2ft gap between his property and the new building. But after contacting freehold owner Deirdre Anne Maloney’s agents in Devon, Mr Leighton has been told the freehold hasn’t been sold - and isn’t for sale.

He said: “I got a letter asking for the ground rent so paid it and asked about the freehold. I was told it hadn’t been sold and they weren’t intending to, unless it was to me as the tenant.

“I’m happy that the building is not going ahead and it shows what can happen if you dig around enough.”

Plans were submitted in September last year for a three-bedroom house to be shoehorned into the gap between houses - leaving a 2ft gap between the new house and No 78, and a 10ft gap on the other side.