YORK landlord George Douglas has been given six months to demolish "shanty town" flats in the garden of a listed house in Heworth Green.

Councillors condemned the ramshackle construction of three flats under plastic roofing as a "shanty town" when they viewed it on an official site visit.

They told Mr Douglas his unauthorised homes have to go. And last night they rejected a last-minute appeal by the landlord when he tried to buy himself more time at a planning meeting.

He urged them not to refuse a retrospective planning application he had submitted for one of the flats, which still have people living in them, arguing that he needed more time to show them his plans for improving the properties.

But no-nonsense councillors said there was no reason to grant Mr Douglas any slack.

Coun Ken King said: "First he puts a building in without permission, and now that he's seeking the proper authorisation, he can't even come up with the plans for it on time."

Mr Douglas said he was disappointed by the decision and blamed delays in getting proper plans ready in time for yesterday's meeting.

He said he did not understand why there was so much fuss over his accommodation and he told councillors he had been working to make them happier, including removing the corrugating plastic roofing.

The council has received objections from neighbours complaining that the structure looks untidy, particularly as it backs on to a listed building.

Objectors also claim traffic from the people who live in the flats makes parking areas congested.

Mr Douglas said he plans to appeal against an enforcement order to pull down the structures and then submit a revised planning application for the flats.

Fiona Derbyshire, City of York Council planning enforcement officer, said Mr Douglas had six months to demolish the studio flat and covered areas.

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