Landowner prosecuted over stable blocks

A Carmarthenshire landowner has been prosecuted for failing to take down stable blocks built without planning permission at Golden Grove in the Tywi Valley.
Richard Booth, of Pantyfedwen, Cwmgors, pleaded guilty at Carmarthen Magistrates Court to an offence contrary to Section 179 of the Town and Country Planning Act.

The prosecution was brought by Carmarthenshire County Council.
The court was told that Mr Booth was served with a planning enforcement notice in August 2011 to remove a number of unauthorised stable blocks he had erected without planning permission on land he owns at Penrhiw, Golden Grove.
He was also required to revert the land usage back to an agricultural use from its unauthorised equine use. As he did not adhere to this request he was fined £1000 and £741.60 costs in May 2012.
Mr Booth was then requested to adhere to the enforcement notice requirements again, but he did not.

This month he was again fined £650 for not complying with the enforcement notice and was ordered to pay prosecution costs of £350.
Carmarthenshire County Council enforcement officers will be contacting Mr Booth again to demand that he takes down the stable blocks within a set time.
Executive board member for environmental and public protection Cllr Jim Jones said:
“Mr Booth has shown a flagrant disregard towards planning law and has now been prosecuted twice for failing to take the action required by enforcement notices issued over his unauthorised development.
“The council will now be taking further steps to ensure that he takes down the stable blocks.”