Boris falls foul of planning permissions
By politics.co.uk staff
As mayor of London, Boris Johnson has responsibility for planning issues in the capital, but he doesn’t seem to receive any special treatment himself.
Mr Johnson was forced to take down a wooden shed he built on the balcony of his home in Islington this week after complaints to his local council.
Neighbours complained that the shed was an “eyesore” and should not have been erected on the balcony of the Grade II listed Georgian property.
“It’s totally at odds with the area, a complete monstrosity. What’s more, it was done without any consideration or thought for the neighbours,” one neighbour told the Daily Mirror.
Mr Johnson allegedly had to work late into the night at the five-storey house to remove the shed after planning enforcement officers from Islington council told him to take it down.
The council said the shed required planning permission because the property was a listed building.
A source at the council told the Mirror: “The planning department couldn’t believe what the mayor had done. He should definitely know better.”
Emily Thornberry MP for Islington south said: “Boris might think he’s above the law but I’m sure he’d be the first to be outraged if one of his neighbours started building work without consulting anyone.”
A spokesman for the MrJohnson said: “The mayor is grateful to Islington council for their advice on this matter.
“The shed has been taken down.”
It has been a bad week for the Mayor who was ambushed by anti-rape campaigners over his failure to honour his election pledge to fund four rape crisis centres in the capital.
The Mayor’s office has since announced funding for the centres.
