Shedgate: Victory for family as bike shed application approved

A family who were told they could face enforcement action to remove a bike shed they erected in their front garden have been finally been granted planning permission.

As road.cc reported the Mayor of Leicester previously said the city council's planning officers 'got it wrong' by telling the family they were unlikely to get permission and urged for the issue to be referred to the planning committee.

Now, he has announced that the family were successful in their bid to keep the shed. 

Kavi Pujara's family were told that they could face enforcement action to remove the bike shed because they live in a conservation area.

Leicester City Council initially said they wanted the homemade eco bike shed removed because it was not in keeping with the Victorian character of the area.

Posting on Facebook at the time, Pujara wrote: "We are a family of four cyclists who last September made an eco bike shed in our front garden. 

"It is made of sustainably grown wood and has a sedum living roof.

"Other houses in the same terrace have converted their front gardens to driveways for parking multiple cars—so there really isn't a homogeneous Victorian look to the street anyway."

The family received numerous messages of support since the story broke, including on the council’s planning portal, and a decision on the 'retrospective application for construction of bike shed at front of house' has now been made.

Sir Peter Soulsby, the former Labour MP for Leicester South who resigned in April 2011 to run for the newly created position of elected mayor of the East Midlands city, posted on Twitter revealing the good news. 

He said: "Very pleased that bike shed application has been approved.

"Good for the environment and completely in keeping with conservation. Well done to the family. Now need to get clear policy encouraging quality bike storage."

Very pleased that bike shed application has been approved. Good for the environment and completely in keeping with conservation. Well done to the family. Now need to get clear policy encouraging quality bike storage. https://t.co/2BDrMqgrHs

— Leicester City Mayor (@CityMayorLeic) May 21, 2021