Men fined for ignoring planning laws

Two men have been fined after ignoring planning laws and converting a basement into a social lounge that became a magnet for anti-social behaviour.

Ibrahim Ishmail and Yasin Omer had converted a restaurant basement in Broadway Buildings, Boston Road in Ealing into a separate khat social, recreational and leisure lounge. Khat is a herbal drug which is a controlled substance in many countries, although not the UK. They ran the lounge where customers would chew the stimulant plant into the early morning disturbing neighbours with anti-social behaviour which included urinating and defecating in the shared access way.

Ealing Council planning officers issued an enforcement notice on the property in August 2009. This enforcement notice was unsuccessfully appealed in February 2010 and the Planning Inspector gave them three months to cease the use. Visits in May and June 2010 showed that Mr Ishmail and Mr Omer had failed to comply with the notice and prosecution action was taken.

After a series of court hearings, Ibrahim Ishmail and Yasin Omer appeared at Isleworth Crown Court on Friday, 19 August 2011.

In court Mr Ishmail and Mr Omer admitted that they had failed to comply with the enforcement notice. The Judge fined each defendant £3,000. In addition he required each defendant to pay a contribution towards prosecution costs of £4,000 and a £15 victim surcharge.

Ealing Council leader, councillor Julian Bell, said: “These are substantial fines for two individuals who repeatedly ignored planning notices over the last two years. I hope this sends a clear message to other businesses that we will not hesitate to take action when people break planning conditions. In running this social lounge, these men have disturbed their neighbours with noise and anti-social behaviour in a wholly unacceptable manner.”

The men have now complied with the enforcement notice.