A landlord who refused to demolish an unlawfully built outbuilding must pay more than £28,000.
Haig Squire built a large brick and block detached outbuilding at a property in Kent.
The structure did not have the planning permission needed for a building of its size, location and use, which led to noise and disturbance.
The local council issued an enforcement notice for the removal of the ‘obtrusive’, ‘oppressive’ and ‘overbearing’ structure in April 2019.
The enforcement notice was appealed, but dismissed by the Planning Inspector in December 2019, and the landlord required to demolish the building.
Squire did not comply with this enforcement notice.
The council decided to prosecute for non-compliance.
This month Squire pleaded guilty to the offence of failure to comply with a planning enforcement notice at Medway Magistrates’ Court.
He was ordered to pay a fine of £25,000, costs of £1,163, and a victim surcharge of £2,000.
The Court explained, in sentencing, that they were particularly concerned about the impact of the structure and Squire’s continued defiance.
The total of £28,163 needs to be paid within six months, in monthly instalments.
The requirements of the enforcement notice will still need to be followed and progress will be monitored by the council.
This article is taken from Landlord Today