Council order influencer take down her luxury £1.3k pergola due to ‘farcical’ neighbour complaints – despite her putting the structure on wheels

A council have ordered an influencer take down her luxury pergola despite placing the outdoor structure on wheels in a bid to avoid neighbour complaints. 

Annabelle Rogers, from Nottingham, first began building her ‘dream’ pergola during the pandemic – fitted with comfy chairs, an outdoor fire, hanging swing and even a small stock tank pool.

But two years later, she was forced to dismantle the stylish pergola following a report from a disgruntled neighbour, who complained about the permanent outdoor structure given they were based in a conservation area. 

Determined to keep their outdoor ‘sanctuary’, Annabelle and her husband got to work on ‘reinventing’ the pergola in the garden of their conserved Grade II listed home – and placed it on wheels in a desperate bid to make it a ‘non-permanent’ structure. 

However, following another complaint, the social media star, who boasts more than 632,000 Instagram followers, has been forced to admit defeat and take down her savvy ‘portable pergola’ which she built at a price of just under £1.3k. 

Taking to Instagram to share the devastating news, Annabelle, who posts under the handle @bydesignermums, said: ‘We finally heard back from the council, unfortunately, it’s not the news that we were hoping for.

‘We’ve just received the official confirmation that we need to take it down this Autumn.’

Annabelle added that she had been left greatly ‘disappointed’ by the decision, especially given that she placed the pergola on wheels in a bid to ‘solve the problem’. 

‘So the biggest question asked… ‘”But it’s on wheels?”  how come you still have to take it down’ Believe me, I’ve asked all the questions and I’ll share these questions along with the council’s replies so it all makes sense,’ she added.

Meanwhile, her husband David wrote: ‘Farcical nonsense but we will reinvent the space and move forward. 

‘As for the neighbours. Well as I’ve always said in life, karma sits and waits. I’ll let karma work its magic when it feels the time is right.’

Taking to the comments of her Instagram post to share their support for the influencer and to criticise the ‘ludicrous decision by the council’, one user wrote: ‘Unbelievable!! Luckily there are no restrictions on tree planting and it’s amazing how quickly a forest can be planted’.

‘Absolutely mad! If you were my neighbours your pergola and garden would put a smile on my face and I would be asking you if you could help make me one!,’ added another.

‘I honestly do not understand what the problem is about the pergola… it’s just crazy!,’ wrote one user. 

‘Why are some people so determined to make life difficult for others? It’s a beautiful structure and works perfectly. I’m sure you will create something just as beautiful but I’m just so sorry that you are forced to by someone else’s pettiness. Such a shame.’

However, others came to the local council and neighbours’ defence, and added that ‘these rules are there for a reason’ and that planning permission must be obtained. 

‘Why don’t you get approval before building? We have a Homeowner’s Association with rules and it just makes sense to get it approved before spending the money.’

Another noted that while the pergola was ‘lovely’, they should not have bought a ‘Grade II listed property that comes with rules and regulations about what you can do to it’.

‘Moral of the story is don’t buy a Grade II listed house unless you’re prepared to get permission for anything you want to do,’ added another.

While most pergolas across the UK do not require planning permission, this is provided that they are lower than 2.5 metres in height, that they do not exceed more than 50 per cent of the land around the home and that they do not feature a balcony, veranda or any raised platform higher than 0.3 metres.

If pergolas fail to meet the specific size and placement rules, formal approval will likely be required.  

In April, Geri Halliwell-Horner won a planning battle with neighbours after being given the green light to keep her ‘illegal’ pergola at her £9.2million mansion.

The former Spice Girl and her husband ex-Red Bull Formula One team principal Christian Horner sparked local fury by building an oak-framed pergola and gazebo in the garden without submitting planning applications.

Despite previously being denied retrospective planning permission, a fresh application for the pergola has been approved today on the grounds of the Grade II listed home – while the future of the gazebo remains unclear.

Neighbours claimed the famous couple were ruining the ‘tranquility’ of their local village in Oxfordshire, and interrupting an unspoilt view of an adjacent church.

They said they were being ‘trolled’ after Geri, 53, and Christian, 52, wrapped fairy lights around the pergola, and felt the famous couple were being treated differently by the council due to their status.

Planners at the local council said today they would be ‘sympathetic’ to the star’s wishes due to the pergola’s ‘siting, scale and design’ – adding it is ‘compatible with the appearance, character, layout, scale and design of existing dwellings in the area’.

The planning official added the proposal ‘would provide adequate standards of amenity and privacy’ for neighbours.

They continued: ‘The council heritage response confirms that the oak-framed pergola, when covered with planting such as wisteria, represents a traditional garden feature that can be sympathetic to the character of the site.’

Despite metal ‘historically being more typical’ for a pergola, the wooden version was ‘considered capable of integrating into the setting without causing harm, provided it remains appropriately screened’.

The pergola is visible to passersby over a towering garden wall that circles the house, which the council ruled ‘would not impact key views nor alter the established relationship between the listed building and the church’.

It concluded: ‘As the pergola would not be visible above the garden wall and does not introduce visually prominent or incongruous elements, the proposal is considered to preserve the character and appearance of the Conservation Area.’

The Daily Mail contacted Nottingham City Council and Annabelle Rogers for comment.