Mum's £180,000 home extension 'will split up family forever' after planning permission row

A mum has said her head has "fallen off" after being ordered to demolish the first floor of her two-storey house extension, which she claims set her back £180,000. Suzie Cavadino, originally from Bootle, moved into her home on Sunnyside in Aughton nearly two decades ago. The mum-of-four splashed out £180,000 on an extension to replace her old conservatory over two years ago. The build was finished in December 2022 following a series of delays and problems with builders. It houses the property's boiler, kitchen and a bedroom, which has been divided into two for a pair of her children. But, West Lancashire Council instructed her to tear down the extension by Friday, April 24, with Suzie claiming council officers told 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 that the builder she hired to carry out the work assured her that planning permission would not be required to swap the conservatory for the two-storey extension. Yet once the work was completed, she received notification from the council that she did in fact require consent for the project, reports the Liverpool Echo . The deadline has now passed, with Suzie revealing she was quoted £50,000 to have the extension demolished, prompting her to launch a GoFundMe page to help raise the necessary funds. Since the deadline passed, Suzie said she has been ordered to demolish the first floor of the extension, while being permitted to retain 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 the 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 house without the two bedrooms. Suzie said: "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. "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 she is a homeowner. Writing on GoFundMe said: "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." In a letter to local MP Ashley Dalton, seen by the Liverpool Echo, Paul Charlson, assistant director of planning and regulatory services for the council, stated: "...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 December 5 2025, the council is now legally required to ensure compliance." The Planning Inspectorate handles decisions and provides recommendations and guidance across a broad spectrum of land use planning matters. A spokesperson for West Lancashire Council commented: "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."