A woman in Tredegar, Lesley Priestley, has been instructed to dismantle unauthorised riverside decking by the end of next month or potentially face a fine of up to £20,000. The Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council’s Planning committee addressed the enforcement action against Priestley during a meeting on Thursday, October 3. The council’s investigation into the decking began following a complaint received in June 2021. In September 2023, Priestley was served with an enforcement notice, prompting her to appeal with PEDW (Planning and Environment Decisions Wales) in October 2023. However, a Welsh Government planning inspector visited the site and dismissed the appeal in August. Enforcement officer Paul Samuels highlighted that the raised decking is situated in a flood zone and an area of nature and conservation significance. The enforcement notice has been in effect since the inspector’s decision on August 28, and compliance is awaited. Priestley has a three-month window from that date to remove the decking.
During a site visit by the planning committee earlier that week, it was observed that the decking remained in place, prompting Committee chairwoman, Cllr Lisa Winnett, to acknowledge the situation in the committee report. In her defence submitted to PEDW, Priestley argued that the decking should be allowed under development rights, as it adhered to specific criteria and advice from the council’s website. She deemed the request to dismantle the decking as unreasonable and asserted it did not pose a flood risk as claimed by the council. However, Inspector H Davies, who visited the site, found no substantial evidence supporting Priestley’s claim and identified the decking as a breach of planning control due to its height and location. He ruled against the appeal, stating that no permitted development rights applied, hence requiring removal of the decking.
The case serves as a reminder of the importance of adhering to planning regulations and seeking proper approvals before undertaking construction projects. Failure to comply can lead to significant fines and enforcement actions by the council. Residents must be aware of the implications of unauthorised developments on their properties to avoid such issues in the future.