The owners of a long-derelict building in Stafford have been ordered to pay more than £56,000 after a court found they had failed to complete work required by the borough council.

Greyfriars House, the former job centre on Greyfriars, has stood empty for several years. Stafford Borough Council said the site had generated repeated complaints from residents and local emergency services because of vandalism and the poor condition of the property.

The building, at Greyfriars, Stafford, ST16 2RX, has broken windows, damaged external fittings and hoardings around parts of the site. The council said the condition of the property was having an adverse effect on the surrounding area.

Works required by the council

The council served Eaglemount Limited with a notice under section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. Such notices can be used when the condition of land or a building is considered to be harming the appearance or amenity of an area.

The notice gave the owner two months to carry out a series of safety and security measures. These included:

  • removing broken glass and damaged external window fittings;
  • boarding windows containing broken glass;
  • boarding and securing external doors to prevent unauthorised access; and
  • repairing and securing damaged hoardings and access gates.

The council said its enforcement officers tried to engage with the owner, but the work was not completed within the period set out in the notice.

Court imposes fines and costs

Stafford Borough Council brought proceedings against the London-based company and its former director, Minesh Dilip Amin, at North Staffordshire Justice Centre.

According to the council, they were found guilty after a trial on Monday, 28 September, of failing to comply with the enforcement notice. The former director did not attend the hearing.

The court imposed a £1,000 fine and a further £100 for every day the notice remained outstanding, amounting to £52,700. Costs of £2,000 and a £400 surcharge were also ordered, bringing the total stated by the council to £56,100.

The company was given six months to pay the fines and costs in full.

What a section 215 notice does

Section 215 powers allow a local planning authority to require an owner or occupier to improve land or a building when its condition is damaging the amenity of an area. A notice must set out the work required and the time allowed for it to be completed.

Failure to comply can lead to prosecution. A council may also have powers to carry out the work itself and seek to recover the cost, although Stafford Borough Council's release dealt specifically with the prosecution and financial penalties in this case.

This report is based on information and a photograph supplied by Stafford Borough Council.