PROUD home owner Ian Deuchars could face a £25,000 bill to remove dormer windows and a chimney from his barn conversion after a planning mix-up with Ribble Valley Council.

The council's planning committee heard that permission to convert the attached barn at the property owned by Mr Deuchars in Longridge Road, Chipping, was granted in 1995.

But he was in breach of a condition preventing further alterations without the local planning authority's consent when he added dormers.

Now the council has decided to take enforcement action to have them pulled down, despite admitting an officer had told Mr Deuchars he could go ahead with the alterations.

In a report to the committee, senior planning officer Alison Roland said work began on the building in early October 1999.

On October 15, Mr Deuchar's architect contacted the planning department inquiring about dormers and was informed verbally that planning permission was not required.

The dormers were built, but when the building inspector saw them he took photographs and informed the senior officer because such conversions to barns are not normally encouraged.

Mr Deuchars' architect wrote to the council and was told permission would be unlikely.

Mrs Roland pointed out the legal issues surrounding verbal representations from officers, telling the planning committee that the council can still take enforcement action even if an applicant is told verbally that planning consent is not needed. Mr Deuchars said he was given an unacceptable length of time, one week, to come up with a compromise with drawings to support it.

"We said we were having difficulty in finding an acceptable compromise and invited Mrs Roland on site for discussion. She refused to visit the house," he said.

Coun Mary Wilson suggested enforcement action would be devastating for the family.

"They were given verbal permission to go ahead with the dormer," she said.

Coun Frank Dyson suggested there were faults on both sides.

"It is not denied in any of these reports that one of our officers has given the wrong advice," he said. "But an experienced builder took that advice and did not submit his building notice with plans showing the dormers.

"I think there are mistakes on the part of Ribble Valley officers, but there also seems to be an attempt to ride roughshod by the builders."

The planning committee agreed the roof should be restored to its original state.

Picture: Ian Deuchars' house, Loudside, near Chipping. The disputed extension is largely hidden from view in this picture