A NEW home being built on the edge of a village may have to be demolished - because it has not been constructed in line with the approved drawings.Council officials have yet to finally decide what will happen to the building in Grimston Lane, Trimley St Martin, and in the meantime have placed a stop notice on it so no more work can take place.

A NEW home being built on the edge of a village may have to be demolished - because it has not been constructed in line with the approved drawings.

Council officials have yet to finally decide what will happen to the building in Grimston Lane, Trimley St Martin, and in the meantime have placed a stop notice on it so no more work can take place.

Planners say the single-storey property has been built too high and believe that has been done to enable the loft space to later be used for bedrooms. It may have to have significant alterations to the roof or be taken down altogether and built according to the agreed plans.

John and Claire Dyer have faced a two year battle to build their “dream home” on the parcel of land, coming up against council policy time and again.

Their first plan was rejected by councillors because the two-storey house they wanted to build to was 300 per cent bigger than the bungalow - since demolished - it would replace.

Only modest changes are allowed to homes in the countryside, an increase of around 50 to 60pc.

However, the council was sympathetic to the couple, who have two young children, and agreed their second application for a three-bedroom single-storey property, 89pc larger than the bungalow.

But in June Suffolk Coastal council was made aware the building was not being constructed in line with the plans and was between 700cm and one metre taller - mirroring the original which was refused permission.

The authority has since refused permission to keep the property with some minor amendments.

In a report to the development control sub committee, officers said: “The increase in the height of the dwelling, mainly achieved by increasing the eaves height, has allowed the insertion of a full height first-floor into the property.”

The council wanted to be assured the first-floor would not be used as additional living accommodation, but there would be difficulties in monitoring and enforcing this.

Trimley St Martin Parish Council said its concern was the loft space and felt this had been built with the purpose of converting this into living space in the future.

Mr Dyer has told the council the loft space would not be used as accommodation and is purely needed for storage. He said the property had been dug into the site and therefore overall was no higher than planned and would not impact on the neighbours.

Do you think the council is being unreasonable - should larger new homes be built on the edge of villages? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail EveningStarLetters@eveningstar.co.uk