Lucy Mecklenburgh has lost her battle with neighbours to turn her Essex bungalow into a dream £1.5million home.
The ex-TOWIE star, 30, sparked a row with residents in the Brentwood cul-de-sac over proposals for a hip-to-gable roof extension, more roof lights, a first floor front extension and a new front porch.
She had previously been given the go-ahead by planners for a loft conversion and front and rear extensions to the two-bedroom pad which she shares with former Coronation Street star Ryan Thomas, giving her an extra bedroom.
Mecklenburgh paid £525,000 for the pad in February 2015, and it is now believed to be worth £738,000, according to property website Rightmove.
Home: Lucy Mecklenburgh has lost her battle with neighbours to turn her Essex bungalow (pictured) into a £1.5million home. Proposals were to add a first floor front extension and a new front porch
But a couple of neighbours objected to her latest proposals to further extend the property with two more bedrooms, a built-in wardrobe and bigger en-suite.
In a letter to the local council, one wrote: ‘I am totally opposed to this planning application. When I moved in seven years ago, it was a cul-de-sac of bungalows.
‘I have been living next to a building site for six-and-a-half years and the house next door is still boarded up and not finished.
‘We have had builders merchants’ lorries, skip lorries, concrete mixer lorries and many more. As a result, the road is now full of potholes.
Disaster: She had previously been given the go-ahead by planners for a loft conversion and front and rear extensions to the two-bedroom pad, which she shares with Ryan Thomas (pictured in July 2019)
‘There appears to have been no council oversight of the works to ensure completion in an acceptable timeframe to help minimise the impact to both the road and the community within it.
‘If this application is granted, we will once again suffer the inconvenience of more lorries coming up and down the road.’
A second resident wrote: ‘The design and appearance is completely different to other dwellings including previous developments in [the close].
This proposed development is not in keeping with the surrounding area and other properties.’
Proposals: But a couple of neighbours objected to her latest proposals to further extend the property with two more bedrooms, a built-in wardrobe and bigger en-suite – the red marks show the proposed extension
Her proposed new-look home would have boasted a hallway, ground floor kitchen, dining area, family seating area, study and two bedrooms.
The first floor would have a master bedroom and two more bedrooms, making it a five-bedroom house.
Officials at Basildon Council threw out her planning application, saying the development would result in ‘bulky additions’ and would be out of keeping with the existing building, street scene and character of the area.
Mecklenburgh appealed to a Government planning inspector against the council’s decision, saying: ‘It is acknowledged by the appellant that the majority of the dwellings in [the close] are bungalows. However, the majority do provide first floor accommodation.
‘The proposed extension has been specifically designed to ensure that it respects the symmetrical design of the existing dwelling.
Renovations: Mecklenburgh paid £525,000 for the pad in February 2015, and it is now believed to be worth £738,000, according to property website Rightmove. Pictured: The home’s kitchen after Lucy and Ryan renovated it
What could have been: Images show the proposed modifications to the home – which will not come to fruition
Change it up: Red marks show the proposed extensions – which have been rejected
‘It matches with the modern contemporary character of the dwelling and is the most practically and design-sensitive solution to achieve first floor space without causing significant material harm.
‘It is acknowledged that the form of extension is out of keeping with other bungalows, which are in the most provided with simple higher ridged roof plans.
‘However, just because a design is not in keeping does not automatically result in it causing harm.’
Planning Inspector Mark Philpott dismissed Mecklenburgh’s appeal after visiting her home last month.
In his report, he said: ‘The first floor extension would be a relatively large, partly flat roofed addition that would span across a significant proportion of the dwelling and have irregularly shaped windows to accommodate the porch roof.
‘Consequently, the first floor extension would sit awkwardly above the single storey projections and the porch and the resulting front elevation would appear cramped.
‘For these reasons, the front extensions would make the dwelling appear incongruent in the cul-de-sac.
‘The character and appearance of the area would be harmed as a result.’
MailOnline has contacted a representative of Lucy for comment.
It comes after Lucy announced her pregnancy with her second child last month in a post she shared with fans on Instagram.
In the image shared to her social media, Lucy wore a white top and jeans as she posed with her little boy in the image captioned: ‘Here we go again @ryanthomas84.’
Lucy’s followers were quick to offer their congratulations underneath the adorable photograph.
Scare: Lucy also reflected on her son Roman being rushed to hospital last month, revealing that doctors discovered he was battling ‘six viruses’ (Ryan pictured in hospital with Roman)
Meanwhile, Lucy also reflected on her son Roman being rushed to hospital last month, revealing that doctors discovered he was battling ‘six viruses’ after she found him ‘blue in his cot’.
Lucy added that she fears Roman, who now uses an inhaler after being diagnosed with a ‘viral induced wheeze’, may have suffered from a weakened immune system after being isolated at home during the Covid lockdown.
In September, 20-month-old Roman – who Lucy shares with her fiancé Ryan Thomas, 37 – spent nearly a week in intensive care.
Reflecting on the traumatic night, Lucy said she had gone to check on Roman in the night as he had been suffering with a cold.
Speaking on the Sweat, Snot & Tears podcast Lucy said: ‘I heard sort of grumbles at 3am and like I think we all do, if they’re not sounding like it’s a big scream and they’re in pain, you think, ‘Oh well they’re just having a little dream.’
She revealed that when she checked the baby monitor an hour later that something ‘didn’t feel right’, adding: ‘He was moving very slowly, side to side, and I thought, ‘This doesn’t feel right and I want to go and see him.”
It was then when she found Roman ‘blue in his cot’ and he was rushed to Basildon Hospital and St Mary’s in London.
Her son has since been diagnosed with a ‘viral induced wheeze’ and now requires an inhaler twice a day.
Back in March, Lucy shocked her Instagram followers when she shared a snap of a set of keys, captioned: ‘New house, new project, new memories to be made.’
Although Ryan now has two homes in the UK, he recently confessed that he would love to live abroad.
He explained that won’t be able to happen in the near-future, however, as he wouldn’t want to leave daughter Scarlett, who remains in Manchester with actress mother Tina O’Brien.
Family: It comes after Lucy announced her pregnancy with her second child last month. Lucy and her partner Ryan also welcomed Roman back in March 2020, while Ryan is also father to daughter Scarlett, 12, with his ex Tina O’Brien
