Havering Council has served a planning enforcement notice to businesses occupying land adjacent to Maylands Golf Club after numerous changes were made without planning permission.
The notice alleges that a “significant degree” of hard surfacing has been laid on part of the land, as well as shipping containers, and “inappropriate” fences and gates installed.
A separate section of the land has been used for vehicle storage and sales without permission, the notice states, while a further section has been used as a scaffolding yard.
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The notice said that this development is “detrimental” to the green belt land and has caused “noise and disturbance” to nearby residents due to the “coming and going” of vehicles.
It added: “The buildings and structures, in particular the containers, scaffolding storage, fences/gates appear as an alien feature that together with the extensive hard surfacing and car parking/storage/display results in significant harm to the verdant and the rural character of the area.”
While the notice is headlined with the “land at Maylands Farmhouse”, it is not one of the several businesses listed as recipients.
The owner of the Airbnb and event venue told the Recorder that it is “nothing to do” with her business and that the land mentioned is “over the road” from the accommodation.
This paper also attempted to contact the four businesses mentioned as recipients of the notice: Glebelands Estates, JNT Scaffolding, Maylands Golf Club, and Northway Cars.
Glebelands Estates – listed as a business which buys and sells real estate on Companies House – has no contact details available.
The manager of Maylands Golf Club explained that the club leases their portion of the land off the landowners, but the section of land mentioned in the enforcement notice is “right next to” the club.
He added: “It’s zero to do with us – it’s absolutely nothing to do with us.”
Director of JNT Scaffolding, Jake Wood, also said it was nothing to do with him as he only rents a piece of the yard space.
Mr Wood said the notice was “not fair” and he is “a little bit annoyed” with the council for issuing it.
He told the Recorder: “We’re not annoying anyone, we’re not getting in anyone’s way, we’re not causing a nuisance over there.
“And yet they want to shut us down.”
Northway Cars said it was not responsible and instead the owner of the land was, but was unable to provide any details about who the landowner is.
The recipients have until November 24 to appeal the notice, and if no appeal is received the land must be cleared and restored to its original condition by February 24, 2026.
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This includes ceasing use of parts of the land as a scaffolding yard and for the storage and sale of vehicles.
A spokesperson for Havering Council said: “An enforcement notice has been served on the land to cease the use and remove all the materials from the land.
“No appeal has been received yet and the businesses have until 24 November to appeal the notice before it becomes effective.
“If no appeal is received, then the owners have to fully comply with the notice.”
The Recorder asked the council for more clarity on who the notice is aimed at but it did not comment further.
