Suzie Cavadino has been ordered to remove the first floor of her house extension by West Lancashire Council over a planning permission dispute
Suzie has been ordered to tear down her extension(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
A mum-of-four says her family will be ‘split up forever’ after being told to tear down her £180,000 house extension. Suzie Cavadino says her head has “fallen off” after being ordered to demolish the first floor of her two-storey extension which she claims set her back £180,000.
Suzie, originally from Bootle, moved to her property on Sunnyside in Aughton nearly two decades ago. The mum invested £180,000 in an extension to replace her old conservatory more than two years ago.
The extension was finished in December 2022 following hold-ups and problems with builders. It houses the property’s boiler, kitchen and a bedroom, which has been divided in two for two of her children.
Get MEN Premium now for just £1 HERE – or get involved in our WhatsApp group by clicking HERE. And don’t miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters HERE.
However, the ECHO reported last month how West Lancashire Council instructed her to tear down her extension by Friday, 24 April, with Suzie having alleged that officers from the local authority informed her it is “out of keeping with the character of the surrounding area”.
Suzie, who lives with her four children aged between 12 and 19, alleges the builder she hired to carry out the work assured her she would not require planning permission to replace the conservatory with the two-storey extension.
But after completion of the extension, she was informed by the council she in fact did need consent for the work, reports the ECHO.
Suzie’s extension (Image: ECHO)
The deadline has now elapsed, with Suzie stating she was quoted £50,000 to have the extension demolished and launched a GoFundMe in order to gather funds to help cover the work.
Since the deadline passed, Suzie told the ECHO she has been instructed to demolish the first floor of the extension, while retaining the ground floor kitchen where her boiler is housed. She has also been granted a further six months to complete the work before the council steps in to arrange it themselves.
Despite this concession, Suzie maintains that the demands from West Lancashire Council will leave her family “split up forever”, as two of her children will be unable to live in the property without the two bedrooms.
“They finally responded and said we can keep the kitchen but upstairs has to go. It’s good that we’re keeping the kitchen but we’re still in a position where our family is going to be split up forever,” Suzie said. “They’ve given us the extension but really we’re still in the same position.”
She added: “We’ve had no one reach out to help and the GoFundMe never got off the ground. My head has fallen off, I have to put on a front for the kids but I’m just shouldering the burden myself. We either sink or swim.”
Suzie confirmed she is ineligible for council housing, whether temporary or permanent, owing to the fact that she is a homeowner.
Her GoFundMe page reads: “I trusted a builder who told me planning permission wasn’t needed. That mistake has now put my entire family at risk of losing everything. I’ve fought this for over two years – appeals, meetings, everything I could possibly do. But I’ve been told the decision is final.”
Suzie Cavadino at her house extension in Aughton(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
In a letter to local MP Ashley Dalton, seen by the ECHO, Paul Charlson, assistant director of planning and regulatory services for the council, wrote: “…the council has carefully considered the circumstances surrounding this case and has already provided Ms Cavadino with all the advice, flexibility and support that is available within the planning process.
“The enforcement notice was upheld by the Planning Inspectorate, which extended the compliance period to 24 April 2026. As 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.”
The Planning Inspectorate is the body responsible for issuing decisions and offering recommendations and guidance on a broad range of land use planning matters.
A spokesperson for West Lancashire Council said: “We recognise the impact planning decisions can have and meet with the residents affected to offer practical alternatives and support.
“However, if the Independent Planning Inspector upholds the requirements of an enforcement notice, the Council must comply with that legally binding decision.
“We would urge anyone looking to undertake building work such as extensions on their property to contact the Council’s Planning Department before starting any work to make sure all necessary permissions have been taken into account.”