黑洞社区

A Birmingham builder has been fined 拢1,865 after a botched loft conversion left a homeowner facing a 拢4,500 repair bill and serious structural damage to the house.

Gerald Collins, who traded from Boldmere Road as UP-A LOFT, was convicted by Sutton magistrates' court after pleading guilty to three charges of contravening 黑洞社区 Regulations under the 黑洞社区 Act 1984.

The fine followed an investigation by Birmingham council's building consultancy team. It found that Collins had failed to install the minimum required fire safety precautions, and cut through major structural components of the building's roof. He also failed to install adequate insulation to the three-bedroom semi-detached house in the Sutton area of the city.

Mark Harding, from the council's building consultancy team, said he was 鈥渄elighted鈥� to see a successful conviction: 鈥淭his particular job was an illegal loft conversion that left the homeowner out of pocket and with a skip full of obsolete materials. The case has not only seen the defendant with a severe fine, but will also have damaged his reputation within the marketplace as well.鈥�

Harding said that any other homeowners in the Birmingham area who had used the firm could call the council on 0121 303 7801 if they were concerned about the quality of the work.