The owner of a listed building has been prosecuted by Boston Borough Council after failing to carry out essential maintenance on the historic property, despite multiple warnings and the issuing of a legal notice.
The English Heritage listed property, located at 65A-67 Wide Bargate in Boston, had fallen into a state of disrepair that caused concerns for its long-term safety and turned it into an eyesore in the local area.
Contact was made by the council to the building’s owner in December 2023, asking for necessary improvements to be made to safeguard the building and enhance its appearance. No works were undertaken, and in June 2024 the council issued a legal notice under section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act, specifying the work that was considered necessary and setting a timescale for it to be completed by October of that year.
Despite this formal notice, no works were undertaken, and the owner failed to engage further with the council, leading to the need for legal action to be taken. The case was heard at Boston Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 25 March, where the owner, Farzana Yasmin Akhter, who did not attend, was found guilty in her absence and imposed a fine of £660, along with a victim surcharge of £264 and an award of £350 in costs to the council, making a total amount payable of £1,274.
The owner of the property is also still required to carry out the necessary renovations to the property, with the council able to take further legal action if this does not occur.
A Boston Borough Council spokesperson said: “Boston’s historic buildings form a key part of the town’s character, and we are committed to doing everything within our power to ensure they are maintained and managed in a way that preserves them and prevents them from becoming a blight on the community.
“Our planning enforcement team has worked over a prolonged period to engage with this property owner to make sure the required works were carried out, but unfortunately were left with no choice but to pursue legal proceedings to see action taken. We are pleased to see the court find in the council’s favour, and hope that these important renovations will now get underway to bring this listed property back to the state it should be.”
This follows another successful case earlier this year, where the council had a legal notice upheld by the courts, ordering the owners of the town’s former Post Office on Wide Bargate to renovate the Grade II listed historic landmark.
