A father-of-four has defended demolishing his side of a semi-detached property in Pudsey, Leeds, after the work left the neighbouring house standing beside a cleared building plot. Chris Rhodes demolished his half of the property after saying a storm had left the gable wall unsafe. His neighbour, Shivarna Mitra, says the demolition has left her home affected by damp, mould, damage and pest problems and claims the condition of the property has made it impossible to sell.
Neighbour says home has been left damaged
Ms Mitra bought the three-bedroom property for £217,000 in 2021 and says she has since spent around £80,000 renovating it. She disputes Mr Rhodes’ account and says problems followed the demolition of the adjoining property. Mr Rhodes, who has since left the UK, denies that his builders caused the damage alleged by his neighbour.
Planning dispute followed demolition
Mr Rhodes has also criticised Leeds City Council over delays involving planning applications for the site. He has accused Ms Mitra of obstructing efforts to redevelop the land, while she has raised concerns over the impact the demolition has had on her home. Planning permission for a five-bedroom replacement property was eventually granted in May 2024, but the house was never built. The plot was sold earlier this year for £115,000. The dispute remains unresolved, with both sides giving sharply different accounts of responsibility for the condition of the neighbouring property.
Originally published by UKNIP.
