Steve has urged the DCLG’S Planning Inspectorate to dismiss two appeals that have been put forward by notorious rogue landlord, Britannia Property Group.
Appeals by Britannia Property Group have been made to the DCLG in response to enforcement notices served by Birmingham City Council. The properties in question were converted from 3 bedroom family homes into 9 bedroom unsightly HMOs despite the fact planning permission was refused from the outset. The landlords were instructed to cease works in 2013 but ignored this and built extensions covering the surface of the gardens and blocking the light and privacy of neighbours. Things got so bad that one of Steve’s constituent’s felt he had no choice but to sell his home.
This is not the first time Steve has asked the Planning Inspectorate to dismiss appeals from Britannia Property Group who have carried out unauthorised imposing extensions to family homes on Gristhorpe Road. The appeals against these enforcement notices were dismissed but the extensions remain standing, yet again showing the total disregard Britannia landlords have for the law, the local neighbours and community.
In the last few years Selly Oak has seen a growth of unauthorised HMOs and the misuse of permitted development which is why Steve took the matter to Parliament last year and introduced his Protection of Family Homes (Enforcement and Permitted Development) Bill. The Private Members Bill is due to have its Second Reading this Friday, 28 October and if the Bill is made law the Council could levy fines in the hope to stop landlords like Britannia riding roughshod over the law and communities.
Steve McCabe MP said:
“For far too long, Britannia Property Group and other rogue landlords in my constituency have got away with blatantly breaching planning law and making the lives of local people a total misery. The appeals have been made on the grounds that orders to remove the extensions and return them to their prior condition have been deemed as excessive by Britannia. I don’t consider the notices to be excessive and I think this displays the total arrogance and temerity of these rogue landlords who have been effectively getting away with planning breaches for the past few years.
“I strongly believe that a clear message needs to be sent to rogue landlords in my constituency and across the country to show that they must abide by the same planning laws that we do. I have urged the Planning Inspectorate to dismiss the appeals and will be pursuing this issue further in Parliament through my Bill, no one should be forced to sell their house because rogue landlords decide to ignore the law and build whatever they like.”
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