Home News Top Stories
Row over Santa's 'cave'
A COUPLE who have built a giant Santa's grotto outside their home for charity have found that neighbours and council chiefs do not share their festive spirit.
When George and Yvette Tull started to create a Christmas wonderland of lights outside their Aston home, they received a letter from Birmingham City Council planners.
George, aged 46, who suffers from cerebral palsy, spent several days last month building the grotto, which includes a donation box to raise funds for cerebral palsy charity Scope.
A planning officer who visited the couple's terraced home in Witton Road ordered them to dismantle it and re-erect it nearer to Christmas to comply with a 28-day planning law on temporary structures.
"We've done what the council wanted," said father-of-three George.
A city council spokeswoman said: "Mr Tull complied with the planning officer's advice and dismantled the grotto so no action will be taken."
Copyright and Trade Mark Notice © 2008 owned by or licensed to Midland Newspapers Limited. Birmingham Mail™ is a trade mark of Midland Newspapers Limited. Please read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Statement before using this site.