by Phil Green
The man behind Circle Sales, Ishfaq Ali Hussain, is a wannabe property developer and no stranger to controversy. And while his houses, at least, are never lacking in the bedroom department, he just can’t resist erecting huge extensions.
In 2009 the now chairman of Birmingham City Council’s Planning Committee threatened to drive a bulldozer to demolish an unauthorised extension on a property in Stechford owned by one of Mr Hussain’s companies, Intercity Homes, and which he was converting into 12 flats when he only had planning permission for 10. All 12 are now being advertised by Circle Sales. (Shome mishtake, shurely? Ed)
DEVELOPER ORDERED TO DEMOLISH UNAUTHORISED EXTENSION
Mr Hussain’s controversial extension of 306 Station Road in 2010
The following year he was in the process of converting his 10 bedroomed house in Russell Road in the Moseley Conservation Area into an HMO (House in Multiple Occupation) without permission, when he was accused by the Planning Department of attempting to build the city’s longest extension “by stealth” after he erected an 80ft long outbuilding in the garden and then applied to connect it to the house (which is also now listed on Circle Sales.)
CITY PLANNERS BLOCK STEALTH EXTENSION
Mr Hussain’s disputed ‘extension’ at 40 Russell Road in 2010
His application was thrown out and he appealed. An independent planning inspector upheld the decision, but in a clear criticism of the council’s earlier approval of the outbuilding he described it as “in no way comparable to the period villa in style, scale or proportion. It looks out of place, excessive and intrusive in this setting.”
40 Russell Road in 2007
40 Russell Road in 2011 showing Mr Hussain’s massive ‘extension’
But it wasn’t just an extension that Mr Hussain was attempting to build ‘by stealth’ – which he claimed was to house a gym and cinema to keep his many children amused. In fact he had set his sights much higher and had hopes of building a 41 bed care home on the site as this 2009 document from his company, Intercity Homes, shows.
The nursing home Mr Hussain was hoping to build in his back garden.
Back at Intercity Homes’ other big project at the time, Mr Hussain’s propensity to avoiding paying bills was dramatically highlighted in 2012 when an exasperated contractor dumped concrete on the Station Road site because he hadn’t been paid. Mr Hussain called the police.
BUILDER STAGES JCB PROTEST BY DUMPING CONCRETE OUTSIDE STECHFORD HOME
The police attempt to calm Mr Hussain
The big extension on another of his houses was marginally less controversial (the council approved it retrospectively).
But having fitted a very modern kitchen, Mr Hussain ripped it all out when the house was about to be repossessed by the mortgage company!
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