Firm fined £5,000 for installing 'unauthorised windows' in Preston
A property firm has been hit with a £5,000 fine after installing uPVC windows on the Preston building in which it is based.
Amaan Properties Limited had not sought permission for the work at its premises on Fishergate, which lie within the city’s Fishergate Hill Conservation Area. The company then failed to comply with an enforcement notice to change the windows to a type permitted in that part of Preston.
The location is covered by what is known as an ‘Article 4 Direction’, which - amongst things - removes some automatically allowed development rights, including the replacement of windows without planning approval. The restriction is intended to protect the historic character of an area.
The enforcement notice - issued in May 2024 - gave the firm six months to replace the unauthorised plastic windows with a timber-framed design that matched the previously installed originals.
Preston City Council says “no attempt” was made to engage with its planning officers over the matter - and neither was an appeal against the notice made to the Planning Inspectorate.
The authority began legal proceedings in July last year to prosecute Amaan Properties Limited for non-compliance. The company did not attend a hearing that took place on 18th March at Blackburn Magistrates’ Court - and the city council successfully applied to proceed in the defendant’s absence.
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The court found the case proven and fined the firm £5,000. It also ordered payment of a £2,000 victim surcharge and the council’s legal costs.
Chris Hayward, Director for Development and Housing at Preston City Council said: “The Council is committed to taking firm and proportionate enforcement action against unacceptable unauthorised development.
Conservation areas are designated to preserve and enhance their special architectural and historic interest, and we will take appropriate action where these protections are ignored.
“The council continues to encourage property owners to seek advice before carrying out works to ensure compliance with planning legislation and to help safeguard the character and appearance of the city’s conservation areas.”