Stockwell landlord ignored planning laws

Monday, 24 August 2009

By Nadia Gilani

A LANDLORD fined £10,000 could find himself in court again if he keeps flouting planning laws.

Mukesh Andani, 55, appeared at Inner London Crown Court on Tuesday for adding a fourth storey to a property in a conservation area in Clapham Road, Stockwell.

A planning officer for Lambeth council noticed building work at the property in Clapham Road, said in court to be Andani’s home, in April last year.

Noemi Byrd, prosecuting said: “The planning enforcement officer saw the roof of the house had been removed, while a fourth storey was in the process of being constructed.”

She said Andani was told to stop but he continued to finish the extension.

Ms Byrd said: “This is no isolated breach of planning control. Andani owns a number of residential properties in London and has two previous convictions.”

Ms Byrd said enforcement notices have also been served against him on three properties in Brixton’s Hargwyne Street and one in Stockwell Green, Stockwell.

She added that Lambeth council was investigating possible breaches of regulations at a further five properties.

Judge Roger Chapple said: “This was a very deliberate breach of the planning system.

“You failed to respond to warnings and caused understandable upset in the area in which the property was located.”

The judge fined Andani £10,000 and ordered him to pay prosecution costs of £2,571.

Andani could face six months in prison if he fails to pay within seven days.

When the South London Press visited the Clapham Road property on Wednesday, the fourth storey was still in place.

A council spokeswoman told the South London Press that if Andani continued to ignore the enforcement notice and did not remove the fourth storey, he would be back in court.

She said: “Mr Andani added an entire floor to his property that was overly dominant, didn’t fit with the rest of the terrace, undermined the architectural integrity of the buildings and had a negative impact on a conservation area and listed buildings next door.

“Mr Andani had three months to rectify the building work after the council took action but this wasn’t done, which is why he ended up in court.”

Email: nadia.gilani@slp.co.uk

For the full story, you can get a full online edition at www.slp-e-edition.co.uk

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3 comments on this news item

Posted by : Bill Palmer, Stockwell | Sunday 25/Oct/2009 | Report this comment

Mukesh Andani is a parasite on South London. Only an arrogant fool such as Andani would consider himself above the law.

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Posted by : Frederick, South London | Monday 07/Sep/2009 | Report this comment

Mukesh Andani and others who flout the law, will always lose. Local residents won’t tolerate this and will report any breach of planning. We are watching out for their next move.

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Posted by : Mr Hicks, west norwood | Saturday 29/Aug/2009 | Report this comment

In south London we need to get local and central government fully involved in housing people. If it is left to capitalist exploiters such as mukesh Andani a whole myriad of social problems will eventually evolve.

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