Mystery surrounds work that's planned at an Aughton house that's been subject to a number of planning applications, appeals and enforcement notices over the past few years.

The original planning application for a new luxury house on Winifred Lane was approved in June 2006.

But it wasn't built in accordance with the permission and an enforcement notice was served requiring that the developer demolish the building.

A Borough Council PR officer told QLocal: "The developer’s appeal against the enforcement notice was initially unsuccessful; however, following a successful High Court challenge, his appeal was reheard and the enforcement notice varied on appeal to require the altering of the building to accord with the 2006 planning permission rather than its complete demolition.

"The enforcement notice required that these works be undertaken by August 2011.

"However, the developer submitted a planning application to reduce the roof and other parts of the building as an alternative to compliance with the notice. This was refused by the Council in October 2011 on the grounds that significant harm to the residential amenity of neighbouring occupiers remained.

"The developer has since submitted an appeal and the Council is currently in the process of defending its decision to refuse permission," she went on.

The appeal will be determined by an independent inspector appointed by the Planning Inspectorate. A decision is due to be made in approximately 6-8 weeks.

"Whilst the Council does not currently have any clear information about recent works on the building or at the site, the matter is the subject of further investigation," she concluded.

When QLocal called at the site last week, groundwork was being carried out to allow scaffolding to be brought onto the site prior to alteration work to the roof and rear of the building.

The contractors working there declined to comment on the matter.