A local businessman has been ordered to pay a fine and costs totalling £11,204.60 after pleading guilty to breaching planning controls.
Edward Fairhurst, 31, of Kirby Lonsdale-based Fairhurst Stone, was served with an Enforcement Notice by Lancaster City Council in 2012 for erecting a large external saw in the business’ yard without the benefit of planning permission.
The notice required Fairhurst to remove the saw which was deemed to be causing nuisance and having an impact upon the satisfactory containment of the business’ activities within the boundaries of the site.
Fairhurst appealed the Enforcement Notice but this was dismissed by a Government Planning Inspector.
Fairhurst failed to remove the saw within the timeframe allowed by the Planning Inspector and was taken to court as a consequence.
The hearing took place at Kendal Magistrates Court on Thursday 8th August when Fairhurst pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay a £10,000 fine, £1,084.60 costs and a £120 victim surcharge.
Councillor Keith Budden, chairman of the council’s planning committee, said: “Planning permission is not an ‘optional extra’ and is needed to ensure that people do not carry out works which have the potential to have a detrimental effect on the local amenity.
“This case should serve as a warning to other people that the council will have no hesitation in enforcing the law and will take action against those who breach planning controls.”