Subscribe to our Construction Newsfeed
UK Construction Directory
Search our 157,349 companies....

Construction News

21/02/2019

Landlord Fined For Failing To Improve A Property

Construction News Image
A landlord who failed to make improvements to a property in Peterborough has been ordered to pay over £7,500 in fines and court costs.

Brian Searle was found guilty of failing to comply with two Improvement Notices ordering him to carry out extensive remedial work to a semi-detached house in Limetree Avenue, Peterborough.

The notices had been served by Peterborough City Council's Housing Enforcement Team to bring the property up to required housing standards set by the authority.

He was fined a total of £2,500 for the offences, ordered to pay full council costs of £4,896.12 and a victim surcharge of £170, bringing the total amount to £7,566.12.

The council was alerted to the property in October 2016 following a licence application under the authority’s Selective Licensing scheme. The initiative was introduced to improve property standards by requiring landlords who privately rent out properties in designated areas to obtain a licence.
-- Advertisement --
hss



A full condition inspection was carried out in January 2017 by the council's Senior Housing Enforcement Officer Peter Bezant who identified serious disrepair, a lack of modernisation and no proper heating system in place.

Building materials, tools and personal possessions were strewn throughout the house, making movement and access difficult without the risk of injury or a fall.

The property was also without a fire alarm, despite many combustible materials being littered around. Combustible materials were stacked against rear entrance doors, compromising escape in the event of a fire.

At the time of the inspection the property was occupied by a single adult male who was known to have ill health and limited mobility.

The council served Improvement Notices on Searle in June 2017 which required remedial works to be completed by August 2017.

Searle exercised his right of appeal to the Residential Property Tribunal (RPT) in June 2017 and a date set for a hearing was scheduled for September 2017. At the hearing, the RPT upheld the Improvement notices but varied the date for compliance to January 9 2019.

The court heard that Searle had failed to comply with the Improvement Notices by the revised date set by the RPT.

Latest Construction News

13/06/2025
A vital piece of Peak District railway infrastructure is set to receive a major upgrade this summer, as Network Rail announces a £7.5 million investment into one of Chapel Milton's iconic twin Victorian viaducts. The 160-year-old, 15-arch structure plays a critical role in the UK's freight network,
13/06/2025
Morgan Sindall Construction has revealed plans to expand its operations in South Yorkshire, building on its strong delivery record in West Yorkshire and aligning with the goals of the newly launched Great North initiative. Backed by northern regional mayors, the Great North initiative aims to unloc
13/06/2025
Construction has officially commenced on the new Children's Cancer Centre (CCC) at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH). Led by long-term design partner BDP, the new centre is one of the most ambitious projects in GOSH's history. The firm is overseeing architecture, landscape, engineeri
13/06/2025
The developer behind the Redworthy Orchard scheme in Yatton has handed over the first homes to a local housing association as part of a wider plan to provide affordable housing in the area. Persimmon Homes Severn Valley has transferred four new properties to Alliance Homes, a move set to ease press
13/06/2025
Wynne Construction has been awarded two major design and build contracts worth over £20 million by Adra to deliver nearly 100 new social homes across North Wales. Construction is already underway at the first site on Berse Road, Wrexham, where Wynne began work in March on a £9 million, 47-home soci
13/06/2025
Great Places Housing Group has officially broken ground on its landmark £37 million LGBTQ+ majority Extra Care housing scheme in Whalley Range, marking the start of construction during Pride Month. The scheme, hailed as the UK's first purpose-built Extra Care development of its kind, is being deliv
13/06/2025
Henry Boot PLC has announced that its property investment and development arm, HBD, has completed the sale of TWO45, a multi-let industrial-led business park in Skelmersdale, to a European real estate developer for £9.5 million. Located on a 10-acre site just minutes from the M58 and M6 motorways,
13/06/2025
Clowes Developments has announced the successful letting of Unit 5A, a newly completed 27,000 sq ft industrial unit at Stud Brook Business Park, to Shawpak Ltd, a pioneering manufacturer of medical device packaging machinery. Founded in Derby in 2013, Shawpak Ltd designs and produces a unique range
13/06/2025
The Hill Group and Legal & General (L&G) have announced a new partnership to deliver 200 affordable homes as part of the first phase of the £450 million City Centre South regeneration scheme in Coventry. This marks the first time the two organisations have collaborated on a major residential devel
13/06/2025
The historic South Crofty tin mining project in Pool, Cornwall, is set to receive a significant boost after being awarded £4,190,500 through the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme, marking the largest single private sector investment by the programme to date. Delivered by Cornwall C
Lakeside HireEfco UK LtdStuart CanvasAqua Direct LtdLandscaping CambridgeMy Thread Curtains(London) Builder Cambridge LtdEH Smith Builders MerchantsThe Lorry Loader Checking AppVictory Windows International Ltd