Over 130 cars were found on Willow Tree Farm, with permission to store just 25.
A landowner who stored up to 130 cars on land at Spalford — but had planning permission for only 25 — has been ordered to pay more than £5,000 for flouting planning law.
Alan Hodson, of Willow Tree Farm, Eagle Road, was prosecuted at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
Magistrates were told that Mr Hodson had permission to store up to 25 cars at the site and had applied to increase the number to 100, but this had been refused by planners at Newark and Sherwood District Council on appeal.
Mr Hodson pleaded not guilty at the hearing, but was found guilty after trial and was fined £2,500 — the maximum that can be imposed.
He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £120 and legal costs in full of £2,834.
The court was told that Mr Hodson had applied for planning permission to increase the volume of vehicles allowed on the site in June 2017 but this was refused, and a subsequent appeal to the Planning Inspectorate was dismissed in June 2018.
Magistrates heard he had failed to comply with the terms of a breach of condition notice served in September 2017 and after further being advised to comply with the notice, a deadline of September 17, 2018 was set to ensure that no more than 25 vehicles were on the site.
Council officers visiting the farm on that date counted 137 vehicles. The court was further told that Mr Hodson emailed the council to give assurances that there were no more than 25 cars on site but when officers visited on November 19, the number was 125.
Planning committee chairman Mr Roger Blaney said: “Planning laws are set out to ensure that development on any land is appropriate and this site is wholly unsuitable for the amount of cars which have been stored there. We cannot allow such large-scale commercial activity in such a countryside location.
“The terms of planning consent were very clear in this case and there was a breach of the conditions set out and this cannot be tolerated.
“We were left with no other option than to take it through the courts. We will be looking at further measures to ensure that the requirements of the breach of condition notice are met.”
A council spokesman said it was unclear whether cars were being broken for spares or being sold and investigations were still ongoing.
