The owners of an eye-sore building in Stafford have been ordered to pay more than £56,000 after leaving the site in a poor state.

Greyfriars House, the former job centre on the town’s Greyfriars, has been derelict for several years.

North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard that there had been repeated complaints from the public and local emergency services due to ongoing vandalism at the property.  

Stafford Borough Council issued an Enforcement Notice requiring owners Eaglemount Limited to tidy the site up - and specifically to:

• Remove from the windows of the building to an authorised place of disposal all broken glass and any broken detached or semi-detached external window fittings
• Board up windows which have broken glass.
• Board up and make secure any external door to prevent unauthorised entry
• Repair and make secure all broken and/or loose hoardings panels and access gates.

The court was told council Enforcement Officers had attempted to engage with the owner, but the work was not completed within the two-month period within the Notice.

The local authority took the London-based company, and its former director Minesh Dilip Amin, to court for failing to comply with the Notice. The former director did not attend the court hearing.

They were found guilty after a trial on Monday (28 September) for the breach of the Enforcement Notice and handed a £1,000 fine. They were also fined £100 for every day the Notice had not been complied with - which totalled £52,700 - as well as ordered to pay £2,000 costs and a £400 surcharge.  

The ‘section 215’ notice was served by the council under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 because they considered the area’s amenity is “adversely affected” by the condition of Greyfriars House.  

The charge before the court stated that they “failed to comply with an Enforcement Notice issued under section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 requiring you to complete works to maintain your property known as Greyfriars House, Greyfriars, Stafford, ST16 2RX.”

The company was ordered to pay the fines and costs in full in six months.

Press Release Number 6332