Battle property developers fined £750 by council

Gemselect Limited, which is developing a site in Beauharrow Road, St Leonards, appeared at Hastings Magistrates Court on March 5 after failing to respond to a Planning Contravention Notice (PCN) served by Hastings Borough Council’s planning enforcement team Grotbusters.

The council served the PCN on 23 September 2013 with a request for information about works Gemselect Limited of Battle had carried out at a site without permissions.

They are currently working on a development of seven dwellings with planning permissions in Beauharrow Road but they made alterations to another site without the required authority to do so.

Cllr Peter Chowney, Hastings Borough Council’s lead member for regeneration said: “We take contraventions of planning issues of this nature very seriously indeed and will prosecute if necessary.

“Gemselect Ltd were using this property opposite their development as a site office and had constructed a fence and undertaken engineering works without planning permission.

“After hearing all the evidence, the court fined Gemselect Ltd £750 with £195 costs and a £75 victim surcharge.”

He added: “This is good news and highlights our zero tolerance to such practices in the town”.