THE architect of a controversial £1m Mirfield mansion has hit back at his critics.

Stuart Hartley has backed businessman Azam Yaqoob, who bought a mock Tudor house on Huddersfield Road for £293,000 in 2003.

Kirklees Council gave the owner of Mr Sparkles car wash in Dewsbury permission for an extension but he demolished most of the original building and built a nine-bedroom mansion.

The council then refused retrospective planning permission for the changes and ordered it to be knocked down.

Mr Yaqoob, who was turned down for retrospective planning permission in February, is trying again.

He has reapplied to Kirklees planners with three minor changes to placate local protests.

Under the new plan windows which overlook the neighbouring house will be removed, stone capping on the gate-posts will be reduced and the roof will be lowered by a foot.

Mr Yaqboob lodged an appeal against the demolition order and a public inquiry into that ruling is due to be held at Huddersfield Town Hall on November 7.

Mr Hartley, the site's architect, admitted the house did not exactly match the approved plans.

He said: "Of course there are anomalies but if you walk around Kirklees you will see lots of these anomalies."

But he said that the changes were minor.

"If I gave you two photos - one of the approved version and one of the actual version - it would take you a long time to spot the differences," he said.

And Mr Hartley denied that his client had acted in bad faith.

He said: "Mr Yaqoob honestly hasn't tried to pull the wool over anybody's eyes."

He also rejected the criticism that the house was over-the-top.

Mr Hartley said: "It's not overbearing, it sits on a huge site.

"It's not as if the house is squeezed into a small plot of land, it's well back from the road."

But Mirfield councillor Vivien Lees said local people were angry with Mr Yaqoob.

She said: "Everybody is outraged because he's built this regardless of planning permission. He has flouted the law.

"It's a huge bone of contention here. Even people in Heckmondwike ask me about it."

And she said the anger was compounded because other people in the area needed to expand their houses but couldn't.

She said: "Mirfield people with growing families have had extensions turned down - how do you think they feel when they see that place going up?"