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Locals blast neighbours who constructed ‘unlawful’ hair salon in BACK GARDEN of £650k dwelling and say it is a ‘nightmare’

Locals have blasted their neighbours after they built a hair salon in their back garden without planning permission.

The owners of secret hairdressers erected the large outbuilding, overlooking a swimming pool, back in 2011 and did not tell the council.

Thanks to a planning loophole, where buildings constructed more than 10 years ago are immune to certain planning regulations, it may stay standing.

However, the owners now face a battle to keep the business open after furious locals complained it was causing traffic and parking chaos on their quiet suburban street in Southend, Essex.

One neighbour told MailOnline: ‘Parking is the main issue and has been ongoing since Christmas. To park on our driveway we have to drive onto their driveway and reverse back round.

‘It must be a nightmare for their immediate neighbours who have a shared drive with them and will have people using the side path every day.’

The building was recently refurbished and used as a salon where two employees see up to seven clients a day operating between Tuesday and Saturday from 9am to 6pm.

Clients access the salon through the driveway, which is shared with their next-door neighbours, and side access.

Applicants D Holder and M Fallan, applied for retrospective permission to use the outbuilding of 19 Blatches Chase (pictured) as hair salon

The property is in a quiet, residential area where the Neighbourhood Watch operates. The image shows an aerial view of the back garden and outbuildings

The property is in a quiet, residential area where the Neighbourhood Watch operates. The image shows an aerial view of the back garden and outbuildings 

The four-bed, detached home is in a quiet, residential area where properties sell for an average of £650,000.

The applicants, D Holder and M Fallan, applied for retrospective permission to use the outbuilding as hair salon. 

Southend-on-Sea City Council received nine letters of objection with concerns including parking and traffic stress, noise, disturbance, odour and loss of privacy.

Another neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: ‘This is the first I’m hearing of the planning permission but I don’t agree with it.’

Councillor Paul Collins for Eastwood Park Ward, called in the application to be considered by the development control committee.

He said: ‘It’s a very contentious issue. The neighbours are not happy with this. They’re worried about the parking stress in the road and the operation hours.

‘I’ve had representations from all sides on this. I’m hoping the committee will treat residents fairly. I think the need for this in a back garden needs to be very much proved by the applicant because it is in a back garden surrounded by residential properties.’

If approved, the salon would be subject to a number of conditions including only operating 9am to 6pm, Tuesday to Saturdays.

The above image shows the outbuilding at the end of the property

The above image shows the outbuilding at the end of the property 

The four-bed, detached house last sold in 2007 for £380,000. Pictured is the outbuilding space which is now used as a salon

The four-bed, detached house last sold in 2007 for £380,000. Pictured is the outbuilding space which is now used as a salon

The other conditions include no more than two employees working at any one time, no more than three clients at any one time allowed to be treated or wait to be treated and no more than seven client appointments held on any one day.

A report recommended for the control committee to grant planning permission subject to conditions.

The report said: ‘The proposed development would have an acceptable impact on the character and appearance of the site, the street scene and the surrounding area.

‘The proposal would also have an acceptable impact on the amenity of neighbouring occupiers, subject to conditions.

‘There would be no significantly harmful traffic, parking or highways impacts caused by the proposed development.’

The hair salon owner told Mail Online: ‘The case is ongoing and we are following all the procedures. We do not wish to comment any further.’