Unauthorised roller shutters lead to building owner appearing in court

Israr Haider, 59, owns 8 Landsdowne Place – a city centre building currently occupied by a fast-food business called UK Fried Chicken.

The business, which fronts onto Morley Street, has had external metal roller shutters installed in recent years, without any authorisation.

In 2021, Bradford Council issued an enforcement notice ordering Haider to remove the shutters – which go against the authority’s policy on security shutters.

Over two years after being given the order to remove the shutters within a year, Haider, of Sycamore Close, appeared at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates Court charged with breaching an enforcement notice.

UK Fried Chicken on Morley Street (Image: newsquest)

He pleaded guilty to the charge, but said the blame lay with his tenants at the time, not himself.

Harjit Ryatt, prosecuting on behalf of Bradford Council, said: “In June 2019 the Council received a planning enquiry for the erection of external steel shutters at this address.

“When officers went to visit they found that the roller shutters had already been installed without planning permission.

‘No change’ to roller shutters policy - meeting told

“The Council wrote to Mr Haider telling him he had three options – provide evidence he did not need planning permission for the shutters, take them down or submit a retrospective planning application.”

A planning application was submitted later that year, but just for the new cladding at the shop – not to retain the roller shutters. It was approved, but Haider was told he still needed to remove the shutters.

An enforcement notice was issued in January 2021, ordering him to remove the shutters within 12 months.

UK Fried Chicken before the shutters were installed (Image: google)

Mr Ryatt said: “He was given a year to comply. We had no response from Mr Haider and they remain in situ.

“He has had further time since then, and the shutters remain in situ.”

Defending himself, Haider said he had rented the building out to a franchise in June 2018. He said he has not been active in the business due to having to care for an ill relative.

In 2021, the person renting the building returned the keys, and didn’t mention anything about the planning issues – he claimed.

He has since leased the building to another tenant.

Referring to Haider’s claims that the work was done by tenants without his knowledge, the court’s legal advisor reminded him that as owner of the building, the work was still his responsibility.

Mr Ryatt questioned Haider’s claims that he didn’t know anything about the roller shutters – pointing out that his retrospective application for the frontage made clear mention of the shutters.

Investigating the case and bringing it to court cost the taxpayer £2,240 - £1,645 for the costs incurred by the planning department and £595 legal costs.

Magistrates ordered Haider to pay these costs, as well as a £461 fine.