Planning enforcement case

A CAPEL Isaac couple have been prosecuted for failing to take down buildings put up on their land without planning consent.

Andrew and Meg-Anne Redman, of Hafod Farm, Capel Isaac, were served with an enforcement notice for erecting several structures without planning permission.

Llanelli Magistrates Court was told that Carmarthenshire County Council planning enforcement officer Kevin Jones advised them before they erected the stables that a previous planning application had been refused on the land but they ignored the advice and commenced works without planning consent.

They then imported material to form a track and a hardstanding area for the structures, and changed the use of the land from agriculture to equine, all without planning permission.

The court heard that despite advising the local planning authority that they would apply retrospectively, no application was submitted and therefore they were served with an enforcement notice to remove all structures, all imported material and revert the land back to an agricultural use.

Mr and Mrs Redman had twice before been fined for failing to comply with enforcement notices.

They pleaded guilty to an offence of failing to remove all the stables from the land and were each fined £250, and each ordered to pay £170 prosecution costs a victim surcharge of £25. They will be allowed one final period of 28 days to comply or the local planning authority will undertake any required works by default and Mr and Mrs Redman will be charged for the costs.

The council’s executive board member for enforcement Cllr Jim Jones said: “The local planning authority will investigate all breaches of planning control. We will not accept flagrant disregard of planning legislation.”