Denbighshire County Council welcomes sentencing following Llandegla planning breach
Denbighshire County Council has welcomed the sentencing of Mr Nicholas Low for failure to comply with a planning enforcement notice. The notice was issued after Mr Low used a rural site near Llandegla as a scrapyard and a caravan site – all without the required planning permission.
Mr Low was found guilty at a trial on 27 and 28 April in Mold Crown Court, where the Council’s Principal Planning Compliance Officer described the harm of the offence on the Denbighshire countryside.
During the sentencing hearing on 28 June, Mr Low was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay Denbighshire County Council’s legal costs of £17,000. Additional costs of around £25,000 have been registered as Land Charges, meaning that Mr Low could now lose ownership of his land. If Mr Low fails to pay the fine and legal costs within eight weeks, he will be ordered to serve a six-month prison sentence.
Commenting on the sentencing, Cllr Win Mullen-James, Lead Member for Local Development and Planning said, “Denbighshire County Council is satisfied that the Court has reached the appropriate decision. This sentence sends out a firm message that the Council will take robust action against those who choose to flout the law and spoil Denbighshire’s countryside.
“Mr Low’s actions over the years have not only had a detrimental impact on the local community in Llandegla and its residents, but also a negative impact on the environment.”
In addition to the sentencing, the Council has obtained an extension to the interim injunction against Mr Low. This will ensure he cannot carry out any further works at the site, which has now been cleared, without obtaining planning permission. The Council continues to investigate allegations of further unauthorised activity on other land in Mr Low’s ownership.
Cllr Mullen-James went on to say, “The conclusion of this matter will now lead to some stability on the site and it provides some security should the defendant try to use this site without planning permission again.”
