Published by Max Salsbury for 24dash.com
in Housing and also in Legal, Local Government

Friday 16th January 2015 – 2:52pm

45,000 fine for homeowner who damaged listed building

Image: Gavel via Shutterstock

The owner of a London Grade II listed building who repeatedly ignored council officers’ advice while carrying out building work has been fined £45,000.

This week, Maurice Lawee, of 1 Wildwood Road, Hampstead Garden Suburb, pleaded guilty to four offences of carrying out unauthorised work to a listed building at Willesden Magistrates’ Court.

The court heard that Lawee bought the house within the historic Hampstead Garden Suburb Conservation area in 2008 for £3.7 million. The house was built in 1912 by Arts and Crafts architect George Lister Sutcliffe and listed in November 1996.

In 2010, Lawee was granted listed building consent for an extension to his basement with the installation of a lift and conversion of a garage.

However, complaints were received by the Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust that Lawee was carrying out unauthorised work beyond that granted consent on his property.

Conservation officers visited the site and ordered work to stop. But despite repeated assurances by Lawee and his architect that work would stop, further site visits showed they had carried on regardless.

Due to the extent of the unconsented works carried out to the listed building, Barnet Council decided to prosecute Lawee in one of the first cases of its kind undertaken by the authority.

Among the unapproved works carried out by Lawee were the building of two large conservatories at the back of the house; completely altering the house’s internal layout, including removing internal walls, knocking out chimney breasts, alcoves, the original staircase, doors and architraves; incorporating outside utility buildings into the main structure of the house; and causing significant harm to the distinctive ‘Flemish bond’ brickwork.

Lawee was fined a total of £45,000 for the four offences and ordered to pay the council’s costs of £14,000. It is the third highest fine to be issued in a magistrates’ court for this particular type of offence.

He has since applied for retrospective consent for the works, some of which have been granted and others refused.

Council leader Richard Cornelius said: “Mr Lawee showed a blatant disregard for the fact he was living in a conservation area in a Grade II listed building when he decided to alter his house in the way he chose fit. Planning laws are there for a reason and the high level of fine reflects the seriousness of this breach.”

David Davidson, Architectural Adviser for the Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust, said: “The Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust is very pleased that the Cou
rt has taken these offenses seriously and imposed such a substantial fine on the building owner.
“The Suburb is an area of international significance in the history of town planning and architecture, and alterations to its buildings need to be carefully considered in order to retain its special characteristics. Mr Lawee chose to ignore the planning regulations which exist to protect Listed Buildings from damaging alterations.

“The London Borough of Barnet has rightly pursued this offence with due persistence. The result will hopefully deter other owners of Listed Buildings from similar actions and ensure that they get the necessary approvals before carrying out works of alteration.”