A MAN who built a dwelling on his land in East Dorset without planning permission has been hit with a court bill of more than £6,000.

Peter Harry Dick was prosecuted by BCP Council after he failed to follow an extant enforcement notice, which required him to demolish the building and remove all the resulting materials following the deconstruction.

The offence related to Dick's address in Barrack Road, West Parley, and was committed between July 10, 2019, and October 11, 2019.

The dwelling had been at the centre of a planning battle dating back almost a decade, which included several different applications as well as an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.

Dick, aged 72, denied committing the offence of not complying with an enforcement notice under section 179 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

However, the defendant was found guilty following a trial at Poole Magistrates' Court on July 12.

The court heard that Dick had been granted a total of eight months to comply with the enforcement notice, but had failed to do so.

This was after the former Christchurch Borough Council first issued the enforcement notice in July 2012.

Magistrates fined Dick £1,000 and ordered him to make a contribution to prosecution costs in the sum of £5,000 and pay a victim surcharge of £100.

Councillor Philip Broadhead, BCP Council deputy leader and portfolio holder for regeneration, economy and strategic planning said: “We have a strong commitment to planning enforcement and to protecting our local environment and we will continue to diligently investigate and pursue matters brought to our attention, take formal action and prosecute where appropriate”

Commons ward councillor Margaret Phipps added: “There are strict rules designed to protect the environment and I am pleased that council officers have brought about a successful prosecution.”

A court spokesperson that as of August 17 they had received no correspondence from Dick in relation to appealing the conviction or sentence. There is a 21 day time limit after a sentence to launch an appeal.