Planning chiefs have insisted the majority of householders are delighted by a crackdown on illegal extensions after residents banded together to complain about the council's 'heavy handed' tactics.
Cllr Barbara Reid, Hounslow Council's lead member for planning, claimed most people felt it was still being too soft on those who flout planning regulations.
At a heated meeting earlier this month, enforcement officers were accused of 'persecuting' homeowners whose poor grasp of English made it difficult for them to understand the rules after a huge leap in prosecutions for illegal buildings, from just one in 2004/5 under the old Labour council to 26 last year.
But Cllr Reid told the Hounslow Chronicle the allegations were totally unfounded and she has no intention of backing down over the criticism.
"We have a policy of being tough on people who deliberately abuse the planning system, which Labour was very lax about," she said. "This has proved very popular with the majority of law-abiding residents, many of whom would like to see us do more."
Feltham and Heston MP Alan Keen has claimed planning officers used to 'turn a blind eye' to illegal extensions built by the borough's large Punjabi community for elderly relatives.
