Hip view (Home Information Packs and Energy Performance Certificates EPC

Centuries of British tradition has been swept away because a builder was just too cheeky. Robert Fidler (real name), 60, secretly built his dream home and cunningly hid it behind tarpaulin, disguising it as a haystack. He lived in it for four years. It was a flagrant attempt to take advantage of a loophole in local planning regulations which, in theory, means that buildings erected without permission to be declared legal if no objections are made after four years.

He even allowed a TV programme to be made about the castle.

But a judge in the High Court ruled that the building, near Redhill, Surrey was unlawful and that Fidler could not benefit from his deception. The castle, its conservatory, marquee, bridge, patio, decking and tarmac racecourse (yes really) will now be knocked down.
“This was a blatant attempt to flout the law,” said a spokesman for Reigate and Banstead Borough Council. Mr Fidler will of course, appeal.

The Association of Independent Personal Search Agents (IPSA) welcomes the findings of the Property Codes Compliance Board (PCCB) independent assessment into personal searches, but issues a warning to property professionals.

The PCCB investigation, which materialised from complaints made by those with a vested interest in undermining the private search industry, has highlighted that the initial PCCB assumption that Local Authority compiled searches could set a quality benchmark for private searches to be judged against was clearly incorrect.

Steve Davies, IPSAs CEO stated “IPSA welcomes the PCCB admittance that personal search reports compiled by its members under the IPSA Code Compliant and SearchCode schemes are every bit as accurate as Local Authority compiled searches.”

The detailed PCCB investigation via spot checks and involving Trading Standards Officers of over 900 search answers revealed no significant differences between the two types of report.

Christian Lister, IPSAs Chairman added “IPSA members are however still appalled by the heavy handed and accusatory stance taken by the PCCB in this investigation, which has alienated them even further from the IPSA membership and therefore today IPSA must issue a warning to Estate Agents and the Property Ombudsman to consider very carefully the PCCB proposal to take control and initiate doorstep and desktop compliance inspections of all Estate Agents.”

The PCCB has done nothing to combat the real problems facing the industry, by accepting unlawful charging for data and allowing industry debts by logo using accredited companies to spiral out of control, leaving the consumer with Home Information Packs that contain unusable documents.