A man's bid to knock down a 'dangerous' chimney has gone up in smoke after a thumbs down from planners. 

Great Yarmouth Borough Council (GYBC) has refused an application by Rory McGrath to remove a chimney stack from a prominent Georgian house on White Street in Martham.

The bid was retrospective - as the chimney was already taken down in April last year. 

In an email to a planning officer, written in February this year, Mr McGrath said the work "was not carried out by choice, but was undertaken because we were advised that to leave the stack in position was dangerous as it could collapse into the house". 

He would like to replace the stack, he said, but that could cost up to £10,000.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: The owner of a house in Martham said the chimney was 'dangerous' and had to be removed. The owner of a house in Martham said the chimney was 'dangerous' and had to be removed. (Image: Daniel Hickey)

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Instead, Mr McGrath applied for planning permission to prevent him having to replace the chimney stack and to cover the hole in the roof with slates.

Originally, there were two chimney stacks on the house, a historic red-brick Georgian property located in a conservation area.

In a report published last month, planners said the chimneys had created a balanced look to the house and "a point of interest in the roofscape of the immediate area".

The removal of the chimney "created an unbalanced look to the property which is detrimental to the overall proportion of the building", they said. 

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An engineer's report said there was a risk from strong winds and that urgent repairs were necessary but did not advise the whole chimney needed to be removed.

In a statement, the borough council said: “Applicants looking to make any development are always encouraged to discuss it with the council first.

"When it is clear that work has been carried out without permission, it can result in a formal planning enforcement action if the work is deemed unacceptable.

“As soon as the council are aware that regulations have been breached, contact will be made with the person responsible to resolve the situation.”