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Big fine for landlord who ignored planning rules

15 Lynhurst Crescent

A landlord and his property management firm have been ordered to pay £7,589 after he failed to demolish a home extension he had built without permission.

Saad Ahmad, of The Larches, Uxbridge, appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court, where he admitted breaching planning control regulations and failing to comply with an enforcement notice.  

His company, Optimum Asset Investments Ltd, was fined £3,000 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £1,200 and Hillingdon Council’s prosecution costs of £3,363. Ahmad was handed an 18-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £26.  

After receiving complaints from residents, planning enforcement officers found an unauthorised front porch and first floor side room at 15 Lynhurst Crescent, in November 2022.

Submitted

Ahmad submitted a retrospective planning application in February 2023 which was refused.

His subsequent appeal was dismissed by the Planning Inspectorate in September 2023 which commented on the extension’s “unattractive box-like and blocky outline which is out of rhythm with other dwellings”.

Planning enforcement officers ordered him to remove the unauthorised development within 28 days. However, Ahmad did not comply and instead submitted an amended retrospective application with changes to the roof design, which was refused in May 2024.

Notice

The council issued Ahmad with a planning enforcement notice in August 2024, requiring the unauthorised extension to be removed by December. It is yet to be fully removed, and the council is engaging with Ahmad to ensure this takes place.

Councillor Steve Tuckwell, cabinet member for planning, housing and growth (pictured), says the case should serve as a reminder to every resident, landlord or businesses, that the correct procedures must be followed when doing construction on a property or hiring contractors. “Planning laws are in place to keep residents safe and protect the environment, and if required, we will not hesitate to take robust action to enforce them,” he adds.

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