Glam mum JAILED for failing to pay £167k fine in 20-year planning row over illegally built stables
A GLAM mum was jailed for failing to pay a massive fine after building stables without planning permission.
Tracie Carter was previously ordered to fork out £167,000 by a judge and told to tear the block down.
But the 52-year-old – pictured exclusively by The Sun – refused to pay up 18 months after.
Carter had applied for planning permission in 2004 to build six stables in leafy Alvechurch, Worcestershire.
After it was denied she continued building on the green belt plot and rented the stables out on Gumtree.
She also decked the place out with a mobile home with decking, a haystore, fencing and gates for vehicles.
In November a judge slapped Carter with a 12 month suspended sentence after she failed to pay her mammoth fine.
But on May 20, the mum was jailed for a year at Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court after continuing to dodge payment.
Bromsgrove District Council’s head of planning Ruth Bamford said: “Our district has a lot of green belt which is important to protect from harmful development.”
How to appeal and win if your home extension is rejected
EXTENSIONS are a great way to improve your home and save money – as building out is often cheaper than moving.
But any building works can quickly create problems with your neighbours if you don’t stick to the rules.
Andrew Cann, director of Planning Direct, a planning consultancy based in the East of England, said there are ways to appeal if your initial application for an extension is rejected.
Here’s what you need to know:
How do you actually appeal?
In order to appeal, you’ll need to prepare a Statement of Case.
This is a document setting out why you believe the extension should be granted in planning policy terms – an expert can help you with this, but they will charge.
This is sent along with an appeal form to the Planning Inspectorate.
This is a government body independent of your local council, which will check whether the planning authority which refused you was correct to do so.
There is normally no fee to submit a planning appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.
The main cost is the fee you’ll need to give a consultant or solicitor to prepare and manage it on your behalf – the amount will depend on the case.
How do I win my appeal?
The truth is, there is no guarantee to winning your appeal – and you should be wary of any solicitor or consultant that promises you a victory.
“Any one consultant who says an appeal will definitely be won should be avoided,” said Andrew.
That said, there are some tips that can help you on your way to a win.
“Take a look around – if other nearby homeowners have made similar changes, the chances are you will win,” said Andrew.
Another thing to look out for is that your application may have been refused on a technicality or just because of a missing detail.
“Sometimes it is worth re-applying with a modified version if the council only wants small changes. A re-application is free within a year of the first refusal,” said Andrew.
But if an appeal is mishandled and refused this can “blight” the property and you will not get permission in future.
There are some challenges when you are looking to appeal.
You must establish that the extension complies with local planning policy and importantly does not harm others.