Two unauthorised rental properties have been demolished in Ealing after the landlord failed to comply with an enforcement notice.
Ealing Council demolished the substandard homes at the back of 201 Scotts Road, Southall, over the weekend of 26th September.
Action was taken after the landlord, Mrs Nadeem, failed to comply with an enforcement notice that was served last summer.
The buildings were first discovered in October 2013 when a concerned resident reported the planning breach to the council. Nadeem was then served with the notice in 2014 that demanded she stop using the outbuildings and demolish them both by December 2014.
Nadeem was then issued a formal warning when the deadline passed with no remedial action being taken. Again, she did not comply, causing the council to demolish the outhouses.
When the council inspected the buildings, they were found in a very bad state, with damp and no insulation. Additionally, five adults and a small child were found living there, despite Nadeem insisting the buildings were empty. The renters have since found alternative accommodation.
Julian Bell, Leader of Ealing Council, says: “I am always astounded when I see and hear about the unacceptable conditions that landlords of unauthorised outbuildings expect tenants to live in. These illegal structures are substandard and do not meet the planning regulations that are in place to protect our residents and communities. They will not be tolerated and the council will take robust action where owners fail to comply with enforcement notices.”1
Nadeem will be issued a bill for the full cost of the demolition work. If the bill is not settled, a charge will be applied on the site, which will incur interest until the outstanding money is paid.
Ealing Council also took enforcement action in August to remove three illegal outhouses in East Acton.
1 https://www.landlordtoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2015/10/beds-in-sheds-demolished-by-ealing-council