Business director fined for grotty property

A Bexhill-based business director has been fined for failing to maintain his property in St Leonards.

John Griffiths, of Full Throttle Cars Limited, of St Leonards Road, Bexhill, was fined at Eastbourne Magistrates Court on September 18 for failing to comply with a section 215 Notice served on a property the business owns.

Griffiths was served the notice under Hastings Borough Council’s Grotbuster scheme for failing to comply with a section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 that was served on Full Throttle Cars as the owners of 4 Magdalen Road, St Leonards - a property requiring maintenance works.

Cllr Kim Forward, the council’s lead member for planning, said: “The section 215 notice gives councils the power to deal with untidy land and dilapidated buildings, by getting owners to improve them.

“In this case, some works had been completed at the property but not all and our Grotbusting enforcement team were unhappy with the lack of progress since the notice was served in May 2014.

“Mr Griffiths has given us an undertaking to get the works completed however, should he not do so he risks further legal action and a continuous offence fine of up to £100 a day.

“We take issues of this nature very seriously indeed and will prosecute if our warnings are ignored.

“If property owners do not comply with the 215 notice they will be fined and still expected to complete the work so it’s in their best interest to get the works done as soon as possible.”

Griffiths pleaded guilty at court for failing to comply and was fined £250 with £333 costs and a £25 victim surcharge.

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