Builder Fined Over Shipping Container on Hampshire Farm
A builder has been slapped with a hefty £5,530 fine after illegally placing a shipping container and other structures on farmland. East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) took action against Jimmy Searle for breaching planning rules at Lumbry Farm Cottages, near Alton.
Concrete, Container, and Barn: Blighting the Countryside
Searle, from Nyewood near Petersfield, laid concrete hard-standing, erected a barn, and installed a large metal shipping container on the site. He also stored vehicles including a forklift truck and trailer, along with metal gates and fencing materials. The site is outside any settlement boundary, sitting in open countryside.
EHDC’s Planning Enforcement team ruled the developments seriously damaged the area’s rural character. They served Searle with an enforcement notice demanding the land be restored to its original state, but he ignored it.
Legal Wrath Hits Defiant Builder at Aldershot Magistrates’ Court
The council took Searle to court for failing to comply. On 14 April, Aldershot Magistrates sentenced him to pay fines, costs, and a victim surcharge totalling £5,530.
“Anyone who fails to comply with an enforcement notice is committing a criminal offence. We are determined to take positive action to ensure compliance with all breaches of planning law,” said Simon Jenkins, Chief Operating Officer at EHDC.
“Developers beware — EHDC has strengthened its Planning Enforcement Team and anyone breaking local planning rules will face legal consequences.”
