A COUPLE who wrongly believed their balcony had planning permission have been given three months to take it down.

John and Wendy Thistlethwaite built the balcony at the rear of their home in Paradise Row, High Street, Ingleton, after being wrongly told it did not need planning permission.

But the information, from Craven District Council's building regulations department, had been wrongly given, the council's planning committee was told in April.

Mr and Mrs Thistlethwaite appealed against council enforcement action, issued in January, but have now been told by the Planning Inspectorate it must come down by the middle of August.

In his decision letter, inspector John Whalley agrees with the council that the balcony needed planning permission and could not be deemed permitted development.

"The construction of the wide appeal balcony amounted to built development that required planning permission. The need or otherwise to obtain building regulations consent is separate from any need to seek planning permission," he concluded.

The notice requires the dismantling and permanent removal of the balcony and awning, and to return the property to its original state.

A retrospective application by Mr and Mrs Thistlethwaite for the balcony considered at the April meeting of the council's planning committee was rejected because of it introduced an 'alien and incongruous' addition to the house, within a conservation area.

At the time, Mr Thistlethwaite agreed with councillors that the balcony looked 'hideous' but pointed out he had stopped construction after being issued with an enforcement notice.