A developer has pleaded guilty to failing to comply with a planning enforcement notice for a property in North Paddington and ordered to pay £415k in fines.

Haab Development Limited and company director Sheikh Behaeddin Adil pleaded guilty to criminal conduct under the Proceeds of Crime Act at Southwark Crown Court last month and told they had three months to pay the fine.

Westminster City Council inspected a property in Harrow Road after being tipped off about a first-floor extension. In May 2015, inspectors found the property had been converted from a shop with three residential flats to one with seven poorly-sized studio or one-bed flats. 

Inspectors also found rear extensions to the ground floor and first floor as well as many internal rearrangements. The local authority issued an enforcement notice in April 2016 ordered the developer to remove the unauthorised works.

In January 2020, inspectors found Haab Development Ltd failed to comply with the order. Haab Development complied with the order in February 2023 and claimed it was not aware of the council's concerns about the planning control breach, despite employing a planning agent to respond to the council's concerns as early as October 2015.

Following the sentencing hearing on September 10, 2024, Haab Development and Mr Adil were ordered to pay fines of £9,750 each and contributions towards the City Council's prosecution costs in the sum of £50,000 (£25,000 each) within 3 months. This is in addition to the proceeds of crime order.

Cllr Geoff Barraclough, Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Development, said: "Planning Enforcement is there to protect and prevent harm to our historic built environment such as the much loved Queens Park Conservation Area. We are clear that enforcement notices will be served and must be complied with if a building owner goes ahead with development without getting planning permission first."

"I welcome this verdict, and the proceeds of crime order, as a warning to others and a reminder that Westminster Council is committed to protecting our City from unscrupulous property developers."

Haab Development Ltd was contacted for comment but has not responded.