A HOUSE in Merton Street, Banbury, may have to be demolished after it was built in the wrong colour brick.

Cherwell District Council's north area planning committee will meet today to decide the fate of the nearly-finished two-storey building in the Grimsbury conservation area.

Planning officers are recommending the demolition of the property because the bricks used are described as too red, as opposed to orange ones used in neighbouring houses, and the roof is made of concrete tiles not the specified slate.

Other planning conditions not complied with include changes to the living accommodation, not providing two off-street parking spaces, windows and doors that do not match the plans, and a lean-to roof that has been added above the ground-floor bay window.

The planning committee will be asked to authorise the demolition of the house, and the clearance from the site of all material and debris. A compliance period of six months is recommended.

The house is said to belong to a family in the Causeway, but when The Cake knocked at their door, no-one was willing to talk about the situation.

The council, in a statement, said: "We have provided extensive guidelines for properties in areas such as this.

"The house has not been built in accordance with the approved plans and conditions.

"The roof tiles, brickwork, and windows used are unsympathetic to the conservation area and the loss of underfcroft parking leaves a four-bedroomed house with no usable off-street parking spaces in an area which is already heavily congested.

"For these reasons we felt we had no option but to recommend enforcement action to ensure that the character and appearance of the area is preserved and adequate off-street parking is provided.

"Otherwise, the integrity of the planning system would be severely undermined."