Builders of a new apartment block have been forced to install it around a lamppost after being refused permission to remove it.
The unusual design was spotted on a four-storey building in Gillingham, Kent, which is still being finished.
One of the balconies of an apartment in the new building is built around an existing lamppost, through which light shines through.
It has caused an uproar among locals. One suggested it could save on electricity bills, while others joked it was just a fire escape.
But developer Afaad Ltd claims it opted to carry out the work around the lamppost just to meet a tight deadline.
The bizarre sight of Jeffery Street in Gillingham, Kent appeared outside the four-storey block where the project’s balcony is built around a lamppost
The lamppost will eventually be removed and the hole in the balcony will be filled later.
The site, at the junction with James Street, was formerly the Dog and Bone pub.
Plans to turn it into apartments were given the green light by Medway Council in 2019.
Construction began in 2022 after permission was granted to make the block 13.1 meters long instead of the original 11 meters.
Gillingham resident Barry Knight visited the site after seeing photos of the lamppost online and couldn’t believe his eyes.
He said: ‘It’s funny, but it shouldn’t be. I wouldn’t want to live there.’
This was not the first time the building was the center of the city’s attention.
In August, an Arriva bus crashed into the scaffolding surrounding the new building, prompting a large-scale response from the emergency services.
A spokesperson for developer Afaad said: ‘It’s a work in progress – we’re still installing it. We still have a few months to go, so this is not the complete product.
‘It was never intended that way, but because it is municipal property, you have to wait for permission. So we can’t touch it.’
Medway Council said it is aware of issues relating to the flats.