A Park Royal landlord has been hit with a huge bill after Ealing Council inspectors discovered that he was illegally letting an outbuilding with cramped living conditions, in his back garden.
Isleworth Crown Court has ordered Mr Sheikh Warak of Wesley Road, Park Royal to pay a total of almost £383,000 for persistently ignoring planning regulations.
The size of the financial penalty reflects almost 10 years of legal wrangles and non-compliance in this case.
Cramped, substandard living conditions
In May 2014, Ealing Council’s planning enforcement team ordered Mr Warak to stop renting the outbuilding, which was being occupied as a home. The council’s notice also required him to remove a kitchen and bathroom from the building, along with plumbing.
Officers found that people were living there in cramped and substandard conditions and that the use of the rear outbuilding was having a detrimental effect on the character and appearance of the area.
In June 2014 Mr Warak appealed the council’s notice to the Planning Inspectorate, which dismissed the appeal in May 2015. Mr Warak was then ordered to comply with the notice by November 2015.
Council inspectors were unable to gain access until 2020, when officers found that the outbuilding was still being occupied. The council then started court proceedings against Mr Warak.
Successful prosecution
After delays caused by COVID-19 and other issues, Mr Warak pleaded guilty to breaching the requirements of the enforcement notice at Isleworth Crown Court on 9 May 2023.
On 26 April 2024, the court ordered Mr Warak to pay a confiscation order of £346,437, in addition to costs of £10,063, a victim surcharge of £120, and a £26,250 fine – a total of £382,870.
Failure to pay the fine could lead to a prison term of 3-and-a-half years.
Report it
- If you are concerned about an outhouse in your area or suspect there may be people living in one, please report it by emailing planningenforcement@ealing.gov.uk
- More information on planning and planning applications
