Council prosecutes owner of listed building over condition of property
Thanet District Council has successfully prosecuted the owner of a listed building over the poor condition of the property.
At Folkestone Magistrates Court earlier this month (19 January), Vasdev Sond was fined a total of £2,481.64 for failing to comply with a Section 215 notice issued by Thanet in relation to the property at Bellvue Road, Ramsgate.
Thanet said its negotiations with Sond over renovation of the property had been unsuccessful. The authority then issued the s.215 notice on 6 April last year. This required the owner to complete a number of repairs within a period of three months.
Some work took place, but this was not as specified and did not meet the terms of the notice. Thanet then decided to prosecute Sond for non-compliance.
Following the guilty verdict, the notice will remain in force until he has completed the work required.
The property, a former post office, is to be re-inspected in three months’ time and if the notice is still not complied with, then Sond could be taken back to Court and receive a further fine.
Cllr Fairbrass, Cabinet Member for Community Services at Thanet, said: “This is a grade two listed building which the owner had allowed to fall into an extremely poor state of repair.
“The council takes its responsibility for Ramsgate’s and Thanet’s heritage buildings very seriously. We will continue to take action against anyone responsible for neglecting such properties and the resulting negative effect that this has on the local community and environment.”
See also: CPOs and run-down listed buildings by Chris Skinner of nplaw.
