A house owner has been ordered to pay over £5,000 after failing to comply with building control regulations.

Manchester City Council took court action against Zuba Yasmin Khan, after he failed to apply for the correct approval, despite repeated requests from City Council officials.

By law, councils must be informed of building work and have the chance to inspect it and ensure that health and safety requirements are met and that the building is structurally sound.

Mr Khan whose property is on Briscoe Lane, Newton Health was first served a Building Control notice on his end terrace property due to its dilapidated state on 4 March.

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The front of the house was falling down, and had been boarded up with several different pieces of corrugated iron. The notice that was served required that the property be refurbished or demolished.

No remedial work was carried out and on 11 April, when conditions continued to deteriorate, a second notice was served on the property.

Over a fortnight later on 28 April, City Council officials noticed that building work had began on the property. Several letters were then sent to the owner explaining that he must submit a Building Regulations application for the rebuilding works. Despite these letters no application from the owner arrived.

Mr Khan was fined in his absence at Manchester Magistrates Court and ordered to pay £5,000 plus £378 costs.

Councillor Richard Cowell, Manchester City Council's Executive Member for the Environment and Planning, said: "It is vital that when building work is carried out on a property that the correct building regulations are applied for and our inspectors have the chance to ensure that the new construction work is structurally sound and meets the required energy and conservation measures. People who fail to apply and to meet these regulations, despite the best efforts of our officers will be taken to court."

(CD/JM)