A company has been prosecuted for converting a number of offices in Penge into residential accommodation without planning permission.

Winstaple Ltd, the owners of 153-155 Penge High St, appeared at Bromley Magistrates Court on January 30 and pled guilty to breaching a council enforcement notice.

The company was then was then ordered by the court to pay a total of £4,128.

An investigation on the breach of development control relating to Winstaple Ltd followed the refusal of a previous planning application.

It emerged during the investigation that all four of the occupied flats had been converted from office accommodation prior to Winstaple’s ownership.

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On November 27, 2017, an enforcement notice was issued for the material change of the use of the first floor to a couple of two-bedroom flats, a one bedroom and a three bedroom flat.

This notice gave Winstaple Ltd three months to comply, however no attempt was made to comply with the notice.

After buying the property in 2016, Winstaple Ltd admitted they applied for planning permission that had been refused after buying the property with existing tenants.

As a result of not following through with the notice as they should have, Winstaple Ltd was then prosecuted.

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Speaking on the outcome of the case, Executive Councillor for Public Protection and Enforcement, Councillor Kate Lymer said: “We welcome the company’s commitment to reinstate the offices and we will be monitoring this to make sure this takes place.

"Development work that is carried out without permission can potentially damage the character and attractiveness of an area.

"Making sure that planning permission is in place is extremely important and we will take action when we find that planning laws have been breached."