Appeals board orders demolition of new allotment house

Janne Lund must demolish her nearly new allotment house after Denmark’s Environmental and Food Appeals Board ruled it was built illegally, DR reports. The board’s decision, issued last week, is final and cannot be appealed.

Lund bought a dilapidated allotment house in 2007 and demolished it. The property is near Randers Fjord and within the coastal protection zone. A replacement house was completed in 2023, but Lund later discovered it had been built without a required exemption.

The question of whether an exemption could be granted after construction was considered over several years. The board concluded that it could not, finding that the house was too large and too high, and stood out too much in the coastal landscape.

“I am deeply frustrated. It is an exceptionally harsh, unreasonable and unfair decision,” Lund said. She said she had contacted authorities and done what she could to follow the rules she knew about.

Lund is waiting to learn when the house must be demolished. She expects to lose about 1.5 million kroner through the construction costs, legal fees and demolition, as well as the family’s retreat.

The ruling has sparked debate on social media, with some people questioning why a newly built house should be torn down and others saying the rules must apply to everyone. Anker Boje, deputy chair of Randers City Council’s Technical and Environment Committee, said it was a sad case but that rules must be followed. He added that the rules may not have kept pace with the times and should be reviewed.

The decision could also affect nearly 30 other allotment houses at a similar distance from the water. Lund’s father, John Kleiner, owns the neighbouring house and said he fears it could face the same outcome because, he said, it too was built without an exemption.

DR said it had contacted Nævnenes Hus, which decided the case, but had not yet received a comment.