Two Torfaen men were fined a total of £1030 on Monday 22 February at Cwmbran Magistrates Court for breaching Notices served under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976.
Mr Craig Fairclough of Cwmbran was fined £200 with £200 costs and a £15 victim surcharge for breaching an Environmental Protection Act 1990 Abatement Notice. The Magistrates Court also made an Order for the forfeiture of equipment that had previously been seized from the premises following a breach of the Notice.
The Abatement Notice was served on 27th March 2009 after Council Officers witnessed playing of loud music at unreasonable hours. The Notice required Mr Fairclough to stop causing a nuisance but he was later found to have breached the notice on four separate occasions.
On the same day, Mr Andrew Mark Ryan also of Cwmbran, was fined £525 with £75 costs and a £15 victim surcharge for failing to comply with the requirements of a Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 Notice.
The Notice required Mr Ryan to provide information to the Council in relation to ownership and occupation but his failure to supply the information was considered to have hindered the investigation process.
Executive Member for Planning and Public Protection, Cllr Gwyneira Clark said: “The Council have a duty to investigate noise complaints and take these matters very seriously. Despite a number of warnings to both the perpetrators of the noise and the owner of the premises, the Council in this case had no alternative, but to take prosecutions against them.”
