LOCAL COMPANY FINED FOR PLANNING BREACH

A local company has been fined a total of £1500 for a planning breach.

Cwmni Datblygu Derwen Cyfyngedig was prosecuted for three offences under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 at Carmarthen Magistrates Court.

The company failed to attend and the case was proven in its absence.

Planning permission was given for a residential development comprising of a road surrounded by self build plots on land opposite Plasydderwen, Drefach Road, Meidrim.

Under it, the road and footways were to be completed to base course level, or coarse tarmac, before any properties were occupied.

A number of the dwellings have been occupied for several years and as the owner of the road and remaining plots Cwmni Datblygu Derwen Cyfyngedig was asked to finish it.

The council’s planning department had to serve a Breach of Condition Notice under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to ensure the work was done.

It also became necessary to serve a Section 215 Notice under the same Act to require that the vacant plots were kept in a reasonable condition so their appearance would not affect the amenity of the adjacent residents.

However, the notices were only partially complied with and the company was prosecuted in court as a result.

Cwmni Datblygu Derwen Cyfyngedig was fined £500 for each of the offences and ordered to pay £205.87 towards prosecution costs as well as a £20 victim surcharge.

Executive Board Member for Environmental and Public Protection Cllr Jim Jones said: “Anyone purchasing a new property is strongly advised to check the status of the estate road as not all are offered for adoption by the highway authority, and not all developments will have a planning condition to ensure a reasonable standard of road. The local planning authority can only investigate where breaches of planning control have taken place so the advice is check who will maintain the road to my new house.”