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Families must leave shed home
Residents have been battling for two years to evict two families living in a shed in a garden.
Harrow Council served an enforcement notice in July 2007 to stop the outbuilding at the house in Formby Avenue, Stanmore, being used as flats.
The notice meant the owner, D Sarkari, needed to evict his tenants and stop using the building within three months.
However the outhouse is still being used as two flats, more than a year after the notice was served.
Austin Hickey, of Formby Avenue, cannot sit in his own back garden due to the amount of people living next door.
The 63-year-old has even raised his garden fence to get some privacy.
He said: "There are two families living in a large shed at the end of the garden.
"This has been going on for years and nothing has been done.
"There are four children and four adults and we can't go out in our garden because of the noise from the children.
"On one occasion one family had their parents round to stay so there were six of them in there."
David Balmer, of Formby Avenue, said: "We have been onto Harrow Council for the last two years about this.
"We do not enjoy living here and we now spend as much time away as we can.
"We have no problem with people finding homes, but not with what is going on here.
"The only time the families move out is just before the planning officer comes round to inspect it. A big red van would pull up and pack all their furniture to take them away, then half an hour later they would come back again."
Sucha Singh-Basuta, a council enforcement officer, said: "The owner claimed the notice had been complied with though he provided no evidence. An enforcement officer visited the site unannounced in June 2008 and found the outbuilding still being used as two flats in breach of the Enforcement Notice.
"The council will be initiating legal action to secure compliance with the notice. To this effect a prosecution report is being prepared which would be sent to our Legal Services who would then apply to the court to secure cessation of the unauthorised use."
Mr Sarkari refused to comment.
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This is not the only "garden shed" being used as habitable accommodation in the borough. A cursory glance across the gardens of Harrow would reveal at least 30% of the houses have these enormous outbuildings, of which a significant minority are being used, illegally for renting out to hapless families. Only recently another property in Formby Avenue was refused planning permission for a "leisure" facility, which more closely resemble two studi flats. The Council only got to know about it because of vigilent neighbours. Even though there is a housing shortage, it is simply not acceptable to permit these developments. I am absolutely certain that they do not represent a safe, habitable place for families to live.