Teddington homeowner given nine months to replace rendered dormer with tiles
Christopher Morillon, a cyber-security headhunter, has been ordered to alter the dormer on his renovated £1.3 million home in Teddington after using white render instead of the roof tiles shown in approved plans. A planning inspector upheld Richmond upon Thames Council’s enforcement notice, giving Morillon and his partner nine months to make the extension comply.
The couple bought the semi-detached house for £815,000 in 2018 and completed renovations, including the dormer, in 2023. The council said the render was not a traditional roof material and made the dormer look stark and out of place among nearby roof extensions; Morillon estimates the required work will cost about £25,000.
In short
- A planning inspector upheld the council’s enforcement notice.
- The dormer must be altered within nine months.
- Morillon estimates the work will cost £25,000.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The council’s case is that planning approval is meaningful only if completed work follows the approved design. Requiring the dormer to use the specified tiles can protect the character of the street and ensure that one conspicuous alteration does not undermine the area’s established appearance.
The case against
The homeowner could argue that white render is a modest design choice and that requiring a costly replacement is disproportionate if the dormer’s effects on neighbours or the wider area are limited. They may also value reasonable flexibility for homeowners to adapt their properties, especially where the visual difference is a matter of judgement.
Explained simply
A dormer is a structure that projects from a sloping roof, usually to create more space and light in the room below. When homeowners make building changes, planning permission may set out how the work should look, including the materials used.
Richmond upon Thames Council is the local authority responsible for planning in Teddington. It can issue an enforcement notice when it believes building work does not follow approved plans; the homeowner can appeal to a planning inspector, who reviews the case.
The issue matters because planning decisions balance changes to individual homes with the appearance of the surrounding area. Enforcement notices can require owners to alter completed work, bringing costs and a deadline for compliance.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Businessman must tear down dormer he built at £1.3m home – after ‘using wrong building materials’”.