Guildford County Court has backed Spelthorne Borough Council in a long running dispute by upholding a planning injunction

Ashford resident Mr John Van Der Beeck was issued with an enforcement notice in 2007 when he constructed a building without planning permission at his home in School Road which he was using as separate residential accommodation.

Mr Van Der Beeck embarked on a series of unsuccessful appeals to avoid complying with the enforcement notice and in 2015 Spelthorne Borough Council secured a Court injunction.

The Court met on 26 April to consider Mr Van Der Beeck’s challenge of the injunction and the Council’s claim that he was in contempt for failing to comply with the injunction.

The judge upheld the injunction and rejected Mr Van Der Beeck’s challenge. Mr Van Der Beeck was found to be in contempt of the injunction and was ordered to demolish the outbuilding in School Road within four months or face the risk of imprisonment.

Spelthorne Borough Council’s Deputy Chief Executive, Lee O’Neil, said: “We are extremely pleased that the Court has upheld the Council’s decision. We take the deliberate breach of planning controls very seriously and will rigorously pursue planning enforcement action when this occurs.”

This article via Spelthorne Borough Council