Belfast Property Conversions Lead To Fines

Belfast Council has taken a hard line on two building firms that have been fined over property conversion breaches.

One has been fined £2,000 over building control regulations while converting properties.

Paul Coyle, T/A PCBS Building Services at Fortwilliam Industrial Estate in north Belfast, was also ordered to pay costs of £66 at Belfast Magistrates Court today after work was carried out at two properties without him lodging an application for building control approval.

It involved properties at Camberwell Terrace and Atlantic Avenue being converted into flats and while Mr Coyle had sought the necessary planning approval, he failed to file papers with Belfast City Council's building control service.

Also fined for a similar offence was Robert McLaughlin, from Salisbury Avenue in north Belfast.

He was fined £150 and ordered to pay costs of £72 for failing to lodge an application with Belfast City Council in relation to work to convert a property at Salisbury Avenue from a single dwelling into a flat and maisonette.

The court heard that Mr McLaughlin has since lodged an application and that a registration certificate was issued by council last month.

The regularisation certificate issued confirms that the property has also now reverted to a single dwelling.

(BMcC/GK)