Man fined 15 years after breaching planning order

The fine relates to Deli Crunch in Manningham

Building owners have been warned not to ignore enforcement notices after a man was fined more than £20,000 for failing to comply with a 15-year-old order.

Mohammed Amin was penalised after ignoring a notice first served on 109 Oak Lane, Manningham, in 2010.

The enforcement notice was issued by Bradford Council following the "unauthorised installation" of a replacement shopfront and roller shutter to the property, which is in a conservation area.

Mr Amin was fined after he admitted breaching the order at Bradford Magistrates Court earlier this month.

The judge imposed a fine of £16,200 as well ordering Mr Amin to pay £2,698 towards the costs of the prosecution and a £2,000 victim surcharge, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The total of £20,898 will be paid at a rate of £700 a month.

It is one of several recent court cases where building owners have been fined for failing to comply with enforcement notices, but this is by far the biggest.

A planning application to retain the modern frontage at 109 Oak Lane was refused by planners in 2009.

That application acknowledged the business was in a Conservation Area, but said the re-introduction of Victorian frontages "cannot be done realistically" due to the other modern shop fronts that had been installed on the street.

At the time planners had said the works "detracted from the appearance of the host building and the North Park Road Conservation Area."

An enforcement notice was issued in July 2010 ordering the shop front to be restored within three months.

After the sentencing, a spokesperson for Bradford Council said: "It is the largest fine we've had in recent years for this type of court case, and it sends a clear message that we will continue to pursue those who flout planning laws.

"The council will continue to pursue compliance with the requirements of the Enforcement Notice.

"We would urge all businesses and residents who receive an enforcement notice to engage with our Planning Service proactively so we can ensure issues are resolved before they reach this stage.

"Once an enforcement reaches the stage of a court hearing the costs of complying increase hugely and, as this example shows, it can prove very costly for the defendant."

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