Landowner fined £20,000 over unauthorised development

A landowner who ignored a council enforcement notice to remove an unauthorised development has been fined £20,000 at Grimsby Magistrates’ Court.

Sarah Erringham-Bruce (46), of 4FS Building Solutions Limited, pleaded not guilty to non-compliance with a planning enforcement notice.

Barrister Jordan Millican acted for the council, and the defendant was found guilty, fined, and also ordered to pay £11,198.00 in costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge, putting her total penalty at £33,198.

North Lincolnshire Council, as the Local Planning Authority, issued the enforcement notice in March 2023 in regard to a development in Winterton. It was not appealed, the development was not taken down, and so the case was taken to court.

Cllr Carl Sherwood, cabinet member with responsibility for public protection, said: “We have a zero-tolerance approach to planning breaches.

“This is a hefty fine and I hope it will encourage the landowner to now fully comply with the notice and stop others from breaching planning enforcement notices in future.

“Collecting the evidence and mounting a prosecution takes time and effort, but sends out a strong message – the council will always take further action against such cases whenever it is in the public interest.”