At long last, I am pleased to announce that a permanent injunction has now been granted to stop the illegal development at Wheatsheaf Hill following legal action by Bromley Council.
The permanent injunction forbids any further development or works to install a mobile home or caravan. The court also fined the rogue developer £25,000 and ordered him to pay costs of £10,000 for failing to comply with the initial injunction.
I am appalled by the rogue developer's damage to our precious green spaces and his failure to comply with initial court orders. I have been working with residents and Bromley Council alongside my colleague Laura Trott MP, who represents Sevenoaks, to prevent further destruction and illegal development on the site.
I want to thank the affected residents for their patience and assistance in gathering evidence to secure this critical court order to put a stop to the work. If the rogue developer breaks this new permanent injunction, he may be found guilty of contempt of court and face a fine or prison.
The length of time this has taken underlines the need to reform the planning rules to make unauthorised developments a criminal offence. I will continue to push for new legislation to do so in Parliament to protect our green belt.
Find out more about the injunction.