Failure to abide by a planning enforcement notice has led to two people being prosecuted and fined in court.
A planning enforcement notice was issued to Venu Andem and Ashvitha Andem, the owners of a property in Windsor Road, Slough, on 22 April 2022, following a report that an outbuilding was being used as an independent unit of residential accommodation.
Inspections of the property revealed the presence of a kitchenette, shower room, bed, and other residential facilities, confirming the illegal use of a self-contained residential unit.
The notice, which required this unauthorised use to stop, came into effect on 23 May 2023, however, by January 2024, it was found the owners had not stopped the illegal use of the outbuilding.
This led to the council’s planning enforcement team launching a prosecution case against the owners for non-compliance.
In February 2025, at Reading Magistrates’ Court, the defendants entered guilty pleas.
The council’s legal representatives then applied for the case to be committed to Reading Crown Court for sentencing, for confiscation proceedings to be conducted, so the council can recoup any unlawfully gained benefit from the illegal use of the property.
A sentencing hearing was conducted at Reading Crown Court, on 26 September, where the defendants were sentenced as follows:
- £5,000 fine (per defendant)
- £7,800 in costs (£3,900 per defendant)
- £21,563.14 Confiscation Order was imposed, with a 7-month imprisonment sentence in default of payment.
This brings the total amount to £39,363.14.
Councillor Paul Kelly, lead member for planning, parking, highways and transport, said: “We are pleased to see the courts take this offence seriously. A planning enforcement notice is not a suggestion; it is a legal requirement to follow it.
“We hope this prosecution makes other people think twice as there could be severe consequences for ignoring planning enforcement notices, such as the large financial penalty in this case.”
In January 2025, the notice had been complied with, and the illegal use of the outbuilding had ceased. Both the kitchen and bathroom had been removed in their entirety, as required by the Planning Enforcement Notice.