Ian Kendall, a landlord from Burley Road, Christchurch, has been hit with a £93,000 fine and confiscation order after admitting to breaches of planning enforcement notices. The sentencing, which took place at Southampton Crown Court, comes after years of Kendall unlawfully renting out a property without appropriate planning permission.

Kendall initially legally converted his detached garage into a dwelling known as The Barn, 41A Burley Road. However, his attempt in 2016 to extend the building was rejected by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council due to the proposed size. Despite this, a subsequent application for a smaller extension was approved.

In 2018, it was discovered by planning enforcement officers that Kendall had not only built a larger extension than permitted at The Barn but had also extended another property to create a separate dwelling, 41B Burley Road, without any planning permission. Both retrospective planning applications for these properties were denied, and enforcement notices were issued. Kendall lost an appeal against these notices but continued to rent out the unlawful dwelling and use the illegal extension.

The judge in the case determined that Kendall had financially benefitted from his criminal actions and issued a confiscation order of £77,133. Additionally, Kendall was fined £8,000 for the planning offences and ordered to pay £7,877 in costs.

Councillor Millie Earl, portfolio holder for connected communities, commented on the case: “Profiting from letting out unlawfully built dwellings is not only illegal but unfair on tenants who have the right to live in a legal and safe home. I hope the huge amount of money confiscated in this case shows just how far we are willing to go to ensure these important regulations are always followed.”

This case serves as a stern reminder of the consequences of flouting planning regulations and the commitment of local authorities to uphold legal and safe housing standards.