Latest news with #PurvisConstructionNELtd
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Owners of derelict church hit with Durham County Council's highest ever fine
The owners of a listed church has been hit with Durham County Council's highest ever penalty of almost £125,000 for failure to carry out repairs. Purvis Construction NE Ltd, based on Silkworth Road in Sunderland, owns the grade II listed St Aidan's Church in Blackhill. The company was taken to court for the second time by Durham County Council in relation to the now-closed church's condition. St Aidan's Church, Blackhill, County Durham (Image: NE NEWS) Magistrates heard how the company failed to start or complete any work to address the state of disrepair the church was found to be in. This week, the court chose to impose a financial penalty of £500 for each day that has passed since the first prosecution, which is the maximum amount allowed. In total, this amounted to £124,800 - the council's highest ever financial penalty. But, since the company failed to attend court, it has now been hit with more costs, and is now facing a £134,800 fine in relation to the church. In November 2023, the council served the company a Section 215 maintenance notice requiring them to carry out repairs to the building's roof, clear pipes, replace windows and cut back plants on the property. Damage to the roof of St Aidan's Church, Blackhill, County Durham (Image: NE NEWS) Damage to the roof of St Aidan's Church, Blackhill, County Durham (Image: NE NEWS) The company failed to respond to the notice within the 16 weeks given to act, resulting in them being taken to court by the council and, after failing to turn up, being ordered to pay £10,000. A year later, in December 2024, the church had fallen into such a state of disrepair that it was no longer wind or watertight and was having a 'negative impact on the appearance of the surrounding area', which led the council to prosecute Purvis for the first time. Overgrown plants and damage to St Aidan's Church, Blackhill, County Durham (Image: NE NEWS) Councillor Lyndsey Fox, the council's cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said: 'St Aidan's occupies a prime place in Blackhill and its listed status and the fact it is within the local conservation area add to its importance locally. 'Regrettably, over time it has been allowed to fall into a state of disrepair and that has upset a lot of people living in the area who regard the old church as an important part of their heritage. 'We share their concerns and that is why we served an enforcement notice compelling the owner to carry out work. 'More than a year and a half later and despite the company being ordered to pay £10,000 following our first prosecution, no work has been started or completed. Read more Woman hit with £600 fine after dumping bath and rubbish outside homeMan fined for being drunk and disorderly in Durham city centre - at 8.15amCowboy builder faces jail after leaving County Durham family £62k out of pocket 'We are really pleased that the court has taken this latest prosecution so seriously and has meted out what amounts to our highest ever financial penalty. 'We hope that penalty might serve as food for thought for any property owners who might not look after important heritage assets as well as they could.' Despite being continually made aware of their convictions, the company has to date failed to start or finish any of the works required.
BBC News
01-08-2025
- Business
- BBC News
St Aidan's Church in Blackhill owner fined over lack of repairs
A council has imposed its "highest ever financial penalty" on the owner of a derelict Grade II church for continued failure to carry out owner of St Aidan's Church in Blackhill, near Consett, was ordered to pay £124,800 after being taken to court a second time by Durham County Construction NE Ltd, which was fined £10,000 in December, got an additional financial penalty of £500 for each day that has passed since the first prosecution - the maximum amount allowed, the council Lyndsey Fox said no work had started and that this had "upset a lot of people living in the area who regard the old church as an important part of their heritage". The penalty was issued at Peterlee Magistrates' Court on council had served a maintenance notice to the Sunderland-based company in was required to repair the building's roof, gutters and windows, as well as to cut back overgrown trees and shrubs. The building was also no longer wind or watertight and is this was having a "negative impact on the appearance of the surrounding area", the local authority said the church occupied a "prime place" in Blackhill."We are really pleased that the court has taken this latest prosecution so seriously and has meted out what amounts to our highest ever financial penalty," she new penalty included a fine of £500 per day for 245 days - a total of £122,500, plus a surcharge of £2,000 and £300 for prosecution and investigation costs. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
