A property owner and a company were today fined a total of £21,000 at Dungannon Magistrates’ Court for demolishing a number of buildings after a Building Preservation Notice had been served.
Keith George Trotter, owner of the Former Market Yard, Main Street, Fivemiletown, pleaded guilty for allowing the demolition of the buildings at his property and was fined £15,000.
The company which carried out the demolition work, McAloon Contracts Ltd, Moneygar Road, Trillick, County Tyrone, pleaded guilty and was fined £6,000.
The Northern Ireland Environment Agency served a Building Preservation Notice on the market yard on the 29 February 2008 which afforded temporary protection in a similar manner as if the buildings were listed. However, when a member of Planning Service returned on the 4 March 2008 to re-inspect the site, the buildings had been demolished.
The Planning Service served the Building Preservation Notice under Article 42 (A) of the Planning (NI) Order 1991 (as amended) and brought the prosecution under Article 44 of the same order.
Notes to editors:
1. Mr Trotter and McAloon Contracts Ltd pleaded guilty at Dungannon Magistrates’ Court on the 9 November 2009.
2. The Building Preservation Notice was served by the Department for the purposes of Article 42 (A) of the 1991 Order, that is the courtyard is of special or historic interest and is in danger of demolition. Any person who carries out any unauthorised works to this building will be guilty of an offence under Article 44 of the same Order.
