An illegal extension added to the side of a former public house in Dagenham has been demolished today (15 August), after the owners repeatedly ignored orders to remove it.  

 

The single storey lean-to had been erected without permission onto The Bull, on Rainham Road South, which ceased trading as a pub in 2014 and is now used as an African supermarket and a health and safety retailer.

 

Barking and Dagenham Council tore down the structure after a two-year dispute with the building’s owners, Brixton based Milegate Ltd, who failed to comply with an enforcement notice that was issued in September 2017 ordering the illegal extension be removed.

 

The cost for the demolition work will be charged back to Milegate Ltd. 

We gave this building owner plenty of chances to comply with our request, but instead they chose to ignore it and do as they please. As a result, today has been a costly reality check for them.

Councillor Margaret Mullane, Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety, said: “This is a victory for a planning department and sends a clear message to anyone who thinks they are above the law and that our rules don’t apply to them. 

 

“We won’t be bullied as a council and we gave this building owner plenty of chances to comply with our request, but instead they chose to ignore it and do as they please. As a result, today has been a costly reality check for them.”

 

Milegate Ltd had already been prosecuted in September 2018 at Barkingside Magistrates Court, where they were fined £2,000 and ordered to pay £843 costs and £170 victim surcharge.