Built stable without permission

An Amman Valley woman has been prosecuted for failing to take down an unauthorised stable block.

Linda Martin Thomas appeared before Carmarthen Magistrates where she pleaded guilty to an offence contrary to Section 179 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

The court was told that she was initially served with a Planning Contravention Notice for identified breaches of planning control by putting up a stable block on land near Penywaun, Grenig Road, Glannamman.

She submitted a retrospective planning application which was subsequently refused and as a result was served with a Planning Enforcement Notice on August 31, 2012, that required her to remove the unauthorised stable block, material that formed the hard standing where it was sited, and required her to return the land to its former state.

Thomas, of Cwmamman Road, Glanamman, appealed against the enforcement notice but the Welsh Planning Inspectorate dismissed the appeal and upheld the notice requirements. The Inspector did however extend the time for compliance.

The court heard that on February 14 this year a Carmarthenshire County Council planning enforcement officer visited Thomas on site and discovered that the notice wasn’t in compliance. She requested a further extension in time from the local planning authority to comply with the Notice and this was agreed.

The officer visited again on May 20 and established that the stable block remained, although part of it has been demolished, and the resulting materials still remain on the land. It was established also that the hard standing still remains and the land has not been reverted back to its former state. As a result she was prosecuted.

The magistrates fined Thomas £180, and ordered her to pay £100 towards prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £20.

She was reminded that whilst she has taken one of the stable blocks down that the others remain in situ and she needs to comply with the Enforcement Notice otherwise she will be re-prosecuted.

Executive board member for environmental and public protection Cllr Jim Jones said: “The local planning authority will investigate all breaches of planning control. We will not accept flagrant disregard of planning legislation.”