Couple Fined £15, 000 For Illegal House Conversion

West Ealing couple ignored planning regulations

A couple will have to pay out almost £15,000 after they converted a house in West Ealing into flats and bedsits without planning permission.

The council issued Marian Kaczmarczyk and his wife Krystyna, of Balfour Road, West Ealing, with an enforcement notice in October 2008 after they converted a property in Leighton Road into two flats and three bedsits without planning permission.

They appeared before Acton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 6 May where they were accused of failing to comply with the enforcement notice, which required them to stop using the flats and return the property to a single home.

Councillor Julian Bell, Leader of the council’s majority Labour Group, said:

“This is a substantial fine and I hope it sends a strong signal that we won’t tolerate people turning properties into blocks of flats without planning permission. These illegal conversions and back garden developments are a real concern to residents and we are determined to prosecute those who flout planning laws.”

They were both found guilty of failing to comply with the notice and were each fined £3,000 and both ordered to pay £4,494 to cover the council’s costs.

May 14th, 2010