A couple have been ordered to pull down a two-storey extension put up without planning permission.
Brighton and Hove City Council have given Simon and Vanessa Fogg, from Lenham Road, Rottingdean, six months to demolish the extension.
But the couple say they brought in a project manager and didn’t know planning permission had not been granted.
When a retrospective application was submitted officers found the design of the building was out of keeping with neighbouring houses and overlooked their gardens.
They also said there was too little space between the extension and the house next door.
Rottingdean Parish Council also objected to “the applicants’ apparent total flouting of planning regulations”.
But Mrs Fogg said she and her husband only discovered the extent of the problems at Christmas.
She said: “This whole process has been incredibly costly – both financially and emotionally.
“We have just had a baby and already have a two-year-old so we wanted some more room.
“But now after all that expense and effort we may have to pull it down.”
According to the council, concerns were first raised about the building in October.
After a site visit officers sent a letter saying building must stop while planning permission was sought.
The council says while a retrospective application was submitted work carried on.
The council has now issued a notice requiring the owners to demolish the extension and remove all debris, which comes into effect on March 1 with a six-month limit to comply.
Mr and Mrs Fogg are now appealing the decision.
Councillor Phelim McCafferty, the council’s chair of planning, said: “A simple phone call to our planning team can clarify whether planning permission is required – a call that can ultimately save time and money for everyone concerned.”
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