BBC star refused permission to build driveway for ‘bizarre reason’ – even though it’s EXACTLY the same as his neighbours

A BBC prima has been refused support to physique a driveway for a precise "bizarre reason".

Comedian Simon Evans has branded readying laws “a joke” aft helium was denied support to make the thrust astatine his home.

Simon - who has appeared successful BBC2s Mock the Week, Michael McInytre’s Comedy Roadshow and different deed shows - wanted to physique it truthful helium could instal an electric conveyance charging point.

His household location is surrounded by houses which person each removed walls to make driveways to parkland their cars.

But astonishingly Simon was refused permission to make a akin 1 due to the fact that his location is successful a Conservation Area.

The assembly claims each the different homes had their drives installed earlier 1984 - erstwhile the roadworthy successful Hove, East Sussex, became a Conservation Area and taxable to strict readying laws.

Simon, 59, a long-time favourite astatine the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, says helium is “astonished” by the council’s inflexible position.

The comedian, who lives astatine the location with his wife, Kate, successfully applied to the assembly for support for a dropped kerb crossover.

Local authorities adjacent suggested a database of approved builders and materials to transportation retired the work.

The crossover, which cost £5,000 successful total, was carried retired to the nonstop assembly specifications.

But his exertion did not see readying support to region his beforehand wall.

And erstwhile helium applied for retrospective permission, Brighton & Hove City Council’s ain Conservation squad objected.

Neighbours, however, backed his plans with 14 contacting the assembly to enactment his retrospective driveway exertion and lone 2 objecting to it.

When his exertion came earlier the readying committee Simon said: “We consciousness it does not change the quality of the neighbourhood successful immoderate detrimental way, fto unsocial the aspects of it protected by the Conservation Area.

“It does not effect successful a noticeable nonaccomplishment of the site’s historical cloth and setting, nor does it springiness the curtilage of the spot an overdeveloped appearance, which would harm the historical quality of the property.”

He was supported by Labour councillor Alison Thomson who voted to o.k. readying support alongside Brighton and Hove Independent Mark Earthey.

Councillor Thomson said: “We person to beryllium capable to marque changes. I don’t deliberation this is, to my mind, [causing] important harm.

Councillor Earthey added: “This is an incremental alteration that does nary harm.”

But the committee voted 7 to 2 to refuse his retrospective readying application.

After the determination Simon, who besides hosts GB News’ Headliners paper reappraisal programme, said: “Being a comedian I often instrumentality from gigs aft midnight and not being capable to find a parking abstraction with fractional a mile of my location is miserable.

“All the houses astir maine each person purpose-built driveways. It doesn’t detract from the quality of the roadworthy - successful information it would marque them look much uniform.

“Our location is an aged Victorian villa and we bought it precisely due to the fact that we emotion it’s property and history.

“We person spent astir £100,000 restoring it from 3 run-down flats into a beauteous household home, taking attraction to sphere each its archetypal features.

“However I consciousness the assembly has to determination with the times and beryllium much flexible truthful sympathetic modernisation tin let for much eco-friendly living.

“The instauration of a driveway would let america to instal an electrical charging constituent which volition future-proof the location and assistance the council’s thrust towards Net Zero.

"It’s a gag truly due to the fact that a nonaccomplishment to determination with the times is precisely what is holding backmost specified biology initiatives.”

When his household moved into the location successful 2011 and began renovating it, a thoroughfare histrion prevented Mr Evans from creating a driveway.

That changed erstwhile the histrion was removed 2 years ago.

Green councillor Sue Shanks asked however Mr Evans had managed to summation support for the crossover and was told that it was handled by a antithetic squad astatine the council.

Councillor Shanks said: “It’s a shame that assembly departments can’t enactment a spot amended together. So idiosyncratic gets support past they’re besides told don’t spell up due to the fact that you whitethorn not get readying permission."

Labour councillor Jacob Allen referred to the quality connection from the area, written successful 1984, which lamented earlier changes to the roofs and nonaccomplishment of gardens for the homes built successful 1860.

In the exertion connection planners astatine Brighton & Hove City Council said: “There are examples of akin arrangements on Denmark Villas.

“They each effect successful the nonaccomplishment of immoderate of the beforehand bound walls successful lieu of car parking. Regrettably this nonaccomplishment of an historical architectural diagnostic serves to show however incremental changes tin erode the historical quality of thoroughfare scenes successful Conservation Areas.

“The historical quality of these properties has been severely impacted by these works.”

Simon and his household indispensable present determine whether to entreaty the assembly determination to the Secretary of State.

Brighton & Hove City Council has been contacted for comment.