Two kitchens in one house

[hasan2013]

HI all,

First of all Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you and your family,

I have a 4 bedroom house which has two kitchens in it, my wife is a strictly Muslim person and does not allow Pork in the kitchens so I have converted one of the rooms into a Kitchen as I have two lodgers living with us. The house has one bath room upstairs in the loft room and one on the first floor. When the house was going under full renovation my neighbour reported me to the council stating I was fully converting my house into two flats. I have one entrance door and one Gas-electric meter. The planning office has visited the house 8 times in 1 year to see if I had put up two entrance doors and Meters but realised at the end it was not going to change. I have just received Enforcement Notice instructing me to remove the second floor Kitchen, Cupboards,Fridge and sink as they believe the house has been unlawfully converted into two self contained flats. They agree its not fully converted but if I put up a separate door and meters it would be.

I have informed them most fellow Jewish people have two kitchens which they agree but stated I he is doing his job. Nor me or my wife wants lodgers in the house but life's hard and I have a big mortgage to pay.

Somebody help me please

[Richlist]

Somebody help me please

OK .....your choices are:

1. Comply with the enforcement notice.

2. Don't comply with the enforcement notice and acccept the consequencies. If you think you have a chance of fighting the notice and winning then you should get some legal advice/ representation.

[Chestnut]

Who says a house can't have two kitchens? What defines a kitchen?

A second room with kitchen units and sink etc. is often called a 'utility room'. Does that need planning permission?

Seek legal advice on this and with adequate facts in hand contest the notice.

[Richlist]

Enforcement notices are not issued lightly. Your LPA will ensure that they have strong grounds for serving the notice. We can't possibly know all of the details that may affect the notice such as health & safety, fire regulations, building regs etc etc.

See here for more details:

http://www.yourrights.org.uk/yourrights/rights-of-gypsies-and-travellers/enforcement-of-planning-control/enforcement-notices.shtml

[Melboy]

I have a bit of experience on this matter Hasan.............

The problem is you have two lodgers residing with you which complicates your situation.

You do not need a separate front door or more than one utility meter to fall into the catagory of 2 living accommodations which may qualify for a whole new raft of law and legistlation you may have to comply with especially council tax payments and building regulations.

I doubt very much that your second kitchen will qualify as a utility room status especially if you have a cooker or cooking facilities available.

You either comply with the enforcement notice or you seek legal advice on the matter but either way you have a weak case imo although your Wife is a strict Muslim regarding pork this probably means she doesn't allow pork into the house anyway and the reason for two kitchens with two lodgers is too good a reason for the planning enforcement officer not to believe you.

[Grampa]

Or get muslin lodgers and only have one kitchen.

I am not suggesting you do this but what is to stop you removing the 2nd kitchen and lodgers and in 6 months time quietly install them again? That would be wrong so don't do it.