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Hillingdon Council has secured another victory in its campaign to protect local neighborhoods from unsightly developments, successfully prosecuting an Uxbridge-based company director who ignored repeated orders to demolish an illegal extension. Saad Ahmad, a 44-year-old British national and director of Optimum Asset Investments Limited, was handed a hefty financial penalty after blatantly disregarding planning regulations that protect the character of the borough’s residential streets.
The case centers on a property at 15 Lynhurst Crescent, where council inspectors discovered a significant unauthorized front extension, including a porch and a first-floor side room. The structure was described by planning officers as having an "unattractive box-like and blocky outline," a design that completely disrupted the rhythm of the street and left the three-bedroom home looking cramped and out of place. Despite the clear violation of the borough’s Local Plan, Ahmad failed to secure retrospective permission and subsequently ignored a formal enforcement notice to tear it down.
Appearing at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 18 November, Ahmad, who resides at The Larches in Uxbridge, pleaded guilty to breaching planning control regulations. While he received an 18-month conditional discharge personally, his company, Optimum Asset Investments Limited, bore the brunt of the legal consequences. The firm was fined £3,000 and ordered to pay a £1,200 victim surcharge alongside £3,363 in prosecution costs. This brings the total financial penalty for the planning failure to over £7,500.
This prosecution highlights a broader, more aggressive stance by Hillingdon Council against developers and landlords who attempt to bypass the rules. It follows a string of high-profile enforcement actions across the borough aimed at preserving the integrity of the Green Belt and residential zones. In a comparable recent case in Yiewsley, landlords Amarjit Singh and Jasbinder Kaur were ordered to pay a staggering £270,000 under the Proceeds of Crime Act for illegally converting a house into cramped flats and "beds in sheds." While Ahmad’s case involved an aesthetic blight rather than a "slum landlord" operation, the council’s message remains consistent: those who build without permission will face the full weight of the law.
The timeline of Ahmad’s case reveals a persistent refusal to engage with the reality of the planning system. Following initial complaints from neighbors in November 2022, Ahmad attempted to gain approval retrospectively in February 2023. The Planning Committee rejected the application due to the extension’s excessive size and poor design. A subsequent appeal to the Planning Inspectorate was dismissed in September 2023, and a warning letter was issued in October. Instead of complying, Ahmad submitted a slightly amended plan which was again rejected in May 2024, leading to the formal enforcement notice in August.
Councillor Steve Tuckwell, Hillingdon Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning, Housing and Growth, used the verdict to issue a stern warning to the property sector. He emphasized that the correct procedures must be followed by every resident, landlord, and business owner. Tuckwell noted that the council offers paid pre-planning advice to help developers navigate the rules, leaving no excuse for breaches. He reaffirmed that planning laws exist to keep residents safe and protect the environment, stating that the council will not hesitate to take robust action to enforce them.
As the deadline for the demolition of the illegal structure passed on December 26 without full compliance, the council has confirmed it is continuing to engage with Ahmad regarding further action. This case serves as a stark reminder to property professionals that attempting to circumvent planning permission is a costly gamble that local authorities are increasingly willing to call out.
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