A developer has been ordered to pay £3,350 by Reading Magistrates Court after failing to meet planning conditions for a housing project in Tilehurst. The court ruling on 17 April 2026 follows legal action taken by Reading Borough Council against Andrew Deacon regarding the Sona Gardens development on Norcot Road.
The site, which consists of three homes granted planning permission twelve years ago, remained in breach of two specific requirements. The developer failed to provide driveway access in line with approved plans and did not secure council approval for the hard and soft landscaping at the front of the site. Despite receiving a formal warning and a legal notice to correct these issues in September 2024, the conditions remained unmet. An attempt to submit landscaping details at the final hour was rejected by council planners as unsatisfactory.
Catherine Lewis, the interim public protection manager at the council, stated that these conditions are in place to safeguard future tenants and the wider community. She added that the council’s planning enforcement team will continue to take action against developers who choose to ignore official warnings.
Following a guilty plea at the hearing on 17 April, the court issued a fine of £1,307. With additional prosecution costs and a victim surcharge, the total amount payable by the developer is £3,350 within 28 days.
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