Record fine for developer who bulldozed £1m Victorian property without permission

Published 01st Aug 2011

A record £80,000 fine has been handed to an investor who bulldozed his own £1million 165-year-old house without permission.

John Johnson, 50, tore down the early Victorian villa in the sought after Trafalgar Road Conservation Area of Twickenham, south-west London, Kingston Crown Court heard.

Neighbours were left 'angered and frightened' when on January 7 this year the entire house, which dates back to 1845, was razed to the ground without planning permission four years after he bought it.

Lucy Grothier had been in bed recovering from an operation when she awoke 'to what felt like an earthquake'.

Johnson was also ordered to pay £42,500 toward prosecution costs for Richmond Council and he has a criminal conviction for the demolition.

Johnson, a financier and rental property investor, had told the council he wanted to partially demolish the home and extend it, but instead bulldozed it.

It was alleged rebuilding the house from scratch would have made him an extra £110,000 when compared to refurbishing the original property.

Gary Grant, prosecuting on behalf of Richmond Council, said: 'Mr Johnson did not apply for the necessary Conservation Area Consent to permit the total demolition of the house.

'Nor, surprisingly, did Mr Johnson even ask Richmond Council planning officers what permission or consents he required before totally demolishing the house.'

Mr Johnson has since admitted he had been 'grossly negligent' in failing to apply for the correct consent needed to demolish the house.

In mitigation, David Travers said: 'Mr Johnson plainly is aware of the distress and anxiety these proceeds have brought not only on himself but on his wife.

'He's aware he now has a criminal conviction. He has been told about the considerable cost which he can expect and will have to pay and he has now the burden of having lost the good relationship with many, not all, but many of the neighbours.'

The homeowner pleaded guilty to a charge of demolishing a property without conservation area consent.

On sentencing, Judge Paul Dodgeson said: 'The harm you caused is both emotional and physical. The distress you've caused to your neighbours has been obvious by their presence in court today.'

He admitted in a few years a rebuilt house would be 'difficult if not impossible' for a casual observer to determine it was not a 200-year-old building but, added 'nothing will be able to alter the fact that what is there is a replica'.

Councillor Virginia Morris, the council's cabinet member for environment and planning, said: 'I hope that this will now demonstrate to residents and other developers in the borough that planning regulations need to be taken very seriously and cannot be disregarded or disrespected.'

Source: ' ThisIsMoney '

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