Suzie Cavadino spent £180,000 on an extension to her home in Aughton, near Liverpool, which was completed in December 2022. According to Suzie Cavadino, the builder she hired assured her that planning permission would not be required for the work. After the project was finished, the council informed Suzie that she did need consent for the construction.
Council officers told Suzie the extension is 'out of keeping with the character of the surrounding area'. West Lancashire Council has ordered the extension be demolished by April after ruling it was built without proper planning permission. The enforcement notice was upheld by the Planning Inspectorate, which extended the compliance period to 24 April 2026.
I received an email to say [the extension] needs to be demolished. I don't get it, this is our home, it's been up for over two years and I don't know why, after that long, it needs to come down. They said it should be taken down in three months but they extended it to six months to demolish it.
The statutory period for challenging the Inspector's decision in the High Court expired on 5 December 2025. The council is now legally required to ensure compliance with the demolition order. Suzie Cavadino moved into her home on Sunnyside in Aughton nearly 20 years ago and lives with her four children aged between 12 and 19.
The extension houses the property's boiler, kitchen, and a bedroom divided into two for two of Suzie's children. Suzie fears she and her children could be left homeless if the council demolishes the extension. 'I received an email to say [the extension] needs to be demolished.
I had a meeting with the council and I explained the downstairs extensions where the conservatory was is the sole kitchen and where our boiler is
I don't get it, this is our home, it's been up for over two years and I don't know why, after that long, it needs to come down,' said Suzie Cavadino. Paul Charlson stated that the council has carefully considered the circumstances and provided Suzie with all available advice, flexibility, and support within the planning process.