New Forest council tells mum to take bedroom wall down

After waiting three years on New Forest District Council's waiting list, Caren Lee, 46, moved into a three-bedroom home in Blackfield with her kids and husband.

After initially sharing a room with her 11-year-old son, Caren decided to split her bedroom into two rooms to give his son some privacy.

However, when a council inspector saw the wall, Caren was told to remove it immediately as it's a fire hazard.

The wall separates the master bedroom allowing Caren and her husband to have a separate room to her son (Image: Submitted)

She said: “It's complete madness – there is no more risk of a fire now than before we put the wall up.

“I have two daughters aged 18 and 22 that need their own rooms.

“My son is 11 and is reaching the age where he wants to have friends and maybe a girlfriend round – how can he do that when he must share a room with his parents.

“I was livid when the council told me. The council have made no efforts to help find a compromise, in fact, they have told me they would never approve it.

“They said the only other option was to go back on the waiting list. I could be waiting as long as 15 years for them to find a suitable four-bedroom house – we already waited three years for this place.”

In response to Caren’s claims, a spokesperson for New Forest District Council said: “New Forest District Council takes matters of tenant health and safety very seriously.

“Our housing service ensures our 5,200 properties comply with a number of strict safety compliance standards, as well as national regulations with regards to building regulations and fire safety.

“In addition, we have a formal process to review tenant alteration requests to ensure these standards are continually met.

“On this occasion, we are working closely with our tenants to return the property back to its original layout in the interests of their ongoing safety.”