Unauthorised works to listed building sees owner ordered to pay £80k

Horsham District Council and Historic England have successfully prosecuted a landowner for unauthorised works to a listed building and scheduled monument.

Brighton Magistrates Court convicted Lars Vestergaard and fined him £22,000, with costs of £60,592, for the works at Ewhurst Manor, in Shermanbury.

The 2014 works including the wholesale stripping of the house’s interior and extensive excavation of the ground beneath it, the council said.

Mr Vestegaard was found to have commissioned the work without first obtaining listed building consent and scheduled monument consent, committing offences under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 and the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.

Once it became aware of the works, Horsham gained a High Court injunction to prevent Mr Vestergaard from carrying out any further work while an investigation was undertaken by the council and Historic England.

Cabinet member for planning and development Claire Vickers said the verdict would “send a clear message that we will use all available enforcement powers to reach effective outcomes in accordance with planning law and the council’s policies”.

Horsham and Historic England said they would seek to work with Mr Vestegaard to secure remedial action to conserve what remains of Ewhurst Manor’s heritage significance and reinstate the damage as far as possible.

Mark Smulian