Dad building dream home hit with £60,000 bill after council ‘ghosts’ him
A father in Portsmouth is facing a £61,832 bill after starting construction on his dream home based on verbal approval from the council. Graham Wrighton claims the council missed its deadline for formal planning consent, leaving him in a difficult financial situation. He had begun work to avoid losing his mortgage, believing he would qualify for an exemption from the charge.
- ▪Graham Wrighton received a demand for £61,832 after starting work on his new home.
- ▪He alleges that Portsmouth City Council missed its own deadline for planning approval.
- ▪Wrighton would have qualified for an exemption from the Community Infrastructure Levy had the council granted permission as expected.
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NewsUKHome NewsDad building dream home hit with £60,000 bill after council ‘ghosts’ himHis solicitor says the council’s move is ‘diabolical’Will Rogers Tuesday 19 May 2026 11:02 BSTBookmarkBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover{"translations":{"comments":"Go to comments","share":"Share","copyLink":"Copy link","bookmark":"Bookmark","removeBookmark":"Remove bookmark"},"showComments":false,"showBookmark":true,"articleId":"b2979293","articleMeta":{"url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/portsmouth-city-council-graham-wrighton-b2979293.html","title":"Dad building dream home hit with £60,000 bill after council ‘ghosts’ him"}}open image in gallery{"id":"trigger-autogallery-22896","index":0}Graham Wrighton at his property in Drayton, Portsmouth (Ollie Thompson/Solent…
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