3/2/2010

The owner of a listed Llanelli bar has been fined £3,400 for making unauthorised alterations to the building.

Douglas Andrew Lewis was prosecuted by Carmarthenshire County Council for making changes to Stamps, the former Post Office, in Station Road, Llanelli without listed building consent.

He pleaded guilty at Llanelli Magistrates Court to an offence contrary to sections 7 and 9 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.

The court heard that the work involved construction of a rear extension, replacement of timber sliding sash windows with casement uPVC windows, cutting off the lower part of double panelled gates, and construction of timber decking.

Lewis of Lewitha Villa, Swansea Road, Fforestfach, was fined £3,400 and ordered to pay £2,000 prosecution costs.

This is the second prosecution by the county council in recent months regarding unauthorized works to listed buildings in Llanelli.

In October at Carmarthen Magistrates Court, Topaz Property Services Ltd, of Priority Business Park, Trade Street, Cardiff, pleaded guilty to an offence contrary to section 43 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, of removing an oak door and surrounding frame forming part of an ornate screen at Park United Reform Church, Murray Street, Llanelli, without listed building consent.

The company was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay £1,000 prosecution costs.

Executive board member for regeneration and leisure Cllr Clive Scourfield said: “Whilst the county council looks at prosecutions as a last resort, the recent cases should serve as a warning to anyone involved with listed buildings not to carry out works without listed building consent.

“The owners will now have to rectify the unauthorised works at their own expense.�

The council’s head of planning Eifion Bowen said that his Conservation Section is there to give advice on consent requirements.