17th
Oct 2024
A lettings firm HAAB Development Limited has been slapped with a hefty £400,000 fine for ignoring a planning enforcement notice.
Company director Sheikh Behaeddin Adil and HAAB Development both pleaded guilty for failing to comply with a planning enforcement notice for one of its properties in the North Paddington area of Westminster.
They were ordered to pay £415,101.13 for particular criminal conduct under the Proceeds of Crime Act within three months.
Following a complaint about a first floor extension Westminster City Council officers inspected the property who found in May 2015 that the property had been converted from a shop with three flats to a shop with seven inadequate sized studio and one-bedroomed flats.
In April 2016 the council issued an enforcement notice which had to be complied with by November 18th 2016 requiring the property to be returned back to how it was before the illegal conversion.
However the agency failed to carry out the requirements and in January 2020 Westminster council finally decided to prosecute the firm and its director.
In February 2023 the work was carried out and the agency and director attempted to contest the prosecution apparently claiming they had not been made aware of the council’s concerns about the breach of planning control.
Their claims was thrown out because in October 2015 the agency was employing a planning agent to respond to the council’s concerns.
The company and director were ordered at the sentence hearing to pay fines of £9,750 each as well as equal contributions from both the director and the HAAB Ltd towards £50,000 costs in within three months.
This is in addition to the £415,101.13 fine under the proceeds of crime order.
A council spokesperson says: “Planning Enforcement is there to protect and prevent harm to our historic built environment such as the much loved Queens Park Conservation Area.
“We are clear that enforcement notices will be served and must be complied with if a building owner goes ahead with development without getting planning permission first.
“I welcome this verdict, and the proceeds of crime order, as a warning to others and a reminder that Westminster Council is committed to protecting our City from unscrupulous property developers. ”
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