The owner of a Grade II listed building has been ordered to pay more than £50,000 after illegally removing his own windows.
Malwai Nijar removed the timber frames at the front of Summerlands Lodge in Westgate-on-Sea, Kent, without giving listed building consent.
An enforcement notice was first served in 2015 by the town's council, but when negotiations to make sure the windows were reinstalled failed, it launched legal proceedings against Nijar.
The building, which was built as Doon House private school in 1906 according to Historic England, boasted a number of traditional sash windows complete with sliding panels - some of which were later removed.
The lodge was also occupied by officers from RAF Manston during the Second World War before it was given listed status in 2012.
In the late 1940s, it was bought by the Royal British Legion as a nursing and convalescent home and was renamed Maurice Lodge.
It later became the head office of a construction company and in the mid-1980s it became a nursing home called Summerlands Lodge.
It is illegal to carry out internal or external works to a listed building without consent under the Town and Country Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.
Grade II listed buildings are of special interest, and are subject to regulations which protect their historical and architectural significance.
This means that alterations and building work cannot be carried out without written consent from the relevant authorities.
Nijar was found guilty of the offence at Margate Magistrates Court on December 2, 2021. And on June 6, he was fined £40,000 for failing to comply with the enforcement notice.
He also admitted failure to attend his trial in December, in contradiction of the Bail Act 1976, and was fined another £2,500. And he was ordered to pay the council’s £7,560 of costs plus a £70 victim surcharge.
The listed building enforcement notice will stay in place until the required work is done. Council officers will inspect the property again in August and Nijar could be hauled back to court if the work has not been done.
Westgate-On-Sea Council takes a 'strong approach' to anyone who carries out unauthorised work on a listed building.
A spokesperson said: ‘’We advise anyone wanting to carry out works on a listed building to seek advice from our planning department.’’
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