A rogue developer has been forced to pay out £17,000 in fines and costs after he failed to comply with court orders to clear a site that had been left as an eyesore in East Tilbury.
Tom Ingleton and his company Ingleton Luxury Homes (The Lawns) Ltd appeared before Colchester Magistrates’ Court on Friday 4 September where they were found guilty of failing to comply with an order the Council had given him to clear and tidy his site.
Ingleton had allowed the Lawns Court site in East Tilbury, which he has planning permission to build 18 homes on, to become a dangerous blight, filled with rubble and debris from the construction and building works undertaken there. He refused to clear the mess he had created, or comply with orders issued by the Council which ordered him to do so.
In 2024 Ingleton had to pay out nearly £7,000 in fines and was ordered by magistrates to clear the site, an order he did not follow until the Council pursued the most recent case against him.
A spokesperson for Thurrock Council said: “This developer stubbornly refused to clear his site despite being ordered by the Council and the courts. His selfish actions created an unsightly and possibly dangerous mess that blighted the lives of his neighbours.
“His refusal to act forced us to bring legal action against him more than once, issue orders for him to clear the site and pursue him through the courts before he obeyed those orders, took responsibility for his mess and started work to clear it.
“This case shows we will doggedly pursue those who think they can flout our orders and negatively impact local communities. We will now be keeping a careful eye on this site to make sure full and proper clearance takes place in line with the court orders.”
