A PUBLIC enquiry may be held into an appeal on a house allegedly built larger than its planning permission allowed in Harleyford Lane.

Brian Folley and his wife have appealed to the secretary of state after Wycombe District Council issued two enforcement notices in November last year on a property they are building in Harleyford Lane.

An inspector has set down a public enquiry for Tuesday, September 25 at the district council chamber in Queen Victoria Road, High Wycombe, beginning at 10am.

But Mr Folley told the Free Press that he hopes to withdraw his appeal, in which case the enquiry will not go ahead.

He said: "I have a open and very agreeable and cordial dialogue going on at the moment with Wycombe District Council and as a result of that we are both hopeful that we will reach an accord that will enable an application to be lodged that will be acceptable to all parties."

The enforcement notices were issued because the house under construction was believed to be bigger in form, bulk, height and massing than its planning permission, granted in October 2003, which specified that the increased size had a detrimental effect on the surrounding area, which is both Green Belt land and within the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

A second enforcement notice was issued for apparently unauthorised engineering works including terracing the land, formation of soil heaps and removal of vegetation.

Neil Marshall, chairman of Marlow Town Council planning committee, told the Free Press: "We at the town council fully support the action taken by Wycombe District Council."

Mr and Mrs Folley submitted a new planning application to the district council to modify the property earlier this year, but it was refused.

Marlow Town Council objected to the new application on the grounds its scale, massing and height were inconsistent with the permission granted in 2003 and in contravention with the Local Plan. They also objected to alterations to the access of the golf course.

Meanwhile, Mr Folley has submitted an application of lawfulness for a track at the Harleyford Lane site, claiming it is already being used as an access route.

Marlow Town Council gave a response of no knowledge' to the district council about the case.

Cllr Marshall added: "The planning committee was asked if anyone on the team had any knowledge of that track and no one had any specific knowledge of it."