East Suffolk Council
Property owner fined for breaching enforcement notice
A Lowestoft man has been ordered to pay £4,400 for breaching planning regulations by using the grounds of a residential address to store building materials.
Derrick Crews was due to attend Suffolk Magistrates’ Court on Monday 23 October to face three charges of failing to comply with an enforcement notice issued by East Suffolk Council.
Mr Crews, who failed to appear before magistrates and was found guilty in absence, was issued an enforcement notice on 19 January for changing the use of land around a residential property in Bridge Road, Lowestoft, without permission from the local planning authority.
He was given until 20 June to comply with the notice by removing building materials from the residential curtilage of the address and restoring the land to its permitted use.
On 26 June, East Suffolk Council officers visited the property and discovered that Mr Crews had failed to comply with the enforcement notice.
Cllr Kay Yule, East Suffolk's cabinet member for Planning and Coastal Management, said:
“I hope this case sends a clear message that failing to follow planning regulations or co-operate with enforcement notices could result in a conviction and significant financial penalty.
“Although prosecution is a last resort, we will take direct and appropriate action against those who repeatedly ignore our officers’ warnings.”
Attributing a high level of culpability and harm to the offences, magistrates handed down fines of £1,000 for each count and ordered Mr Crews to pay £1,200 in court surcharges and £200 towards the cost of prosecution.