Bill of £118k over illegal work on West Bromwich pub

Businessmen Lal and Santokh Chander had been embroiled in an 11-year planning wrangle with Sandwell Council involving a two-storey project at the Windsor Castle Pub in Sams Lane, West Bromwich.

The pair had already been convicted and fined £5,000 in 2011 for ignoring an 18-month deadline to take down the illegal building which was being used as a function room.

But despite the order they were brought back before the court in July 2012 and convicted after trial for ignoring the enforcement notice for a second time.

At Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday the pair were find a total of £14,000 and ordered to pay back £90,000 through the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Lawyers acting on behalf of Sandwell Council said that the men had made the cash during the time the function room was in operation. With collective court costs of £13,988 the total bill came to £118,000. The court heard that the brothers will have to sell businesses to pay off the money.

Judge Amjad Nawaz described the businessmen's stance as a 'foolish venture' before adding that they had 'lost the plot'.

Mr Mark Jackson, prosecuting for Sandwell Council, told the court: "They were given planning permission for a single storey extension to their property in 2002 but opted to contravene this by building a second storey. The local authority ordered that the illegal part of the structure be demolished but what the defendants did was apply for retrospective planning permission which was rejected.

"An enforcement notice was served on them in 2007 which was ignored and they were convicted in 2011. They were given 18 months to demolish the structure but failed to do so and were fined £5,000.

"They failed to comply to the order again and were convicted in 2012 and it's why they find themselves before this court. It is accepted that the extension was being used as a function room that was being used by 100 to 120 people."

Mr Bob Sastry, defending, said: "These men are hard working businessmen who don't come to the attention of the court regularly.

"They don't live the lifestyle of wealthy people and while they do have money it's tied up in buildings. They had been told by the architect that everything was in order and that includes the correct planning permission." As well as being told to pay £45,000 each Lal Chander, 52, from Walter Street, West Bromwich and his 48-year-old brother of Castle Street, were fined £7,000 each and told they both must pick up the collective court costs of £13,988.

They were given six months to pay the confiscation order and court costs.