A West Drayton couple has been fined £6,936 for unlawfully operating a skip hire and waste business from their home, despite repeated warnings from Hillingdon Council.
Kulwant Malhi, 60, and Gurpreet Kaur Malhi, 46, from West Drayton, pleaded guilty at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on 18 February to breaching planning control regulations and failing to comply with an enforcement notice.
Following resident complaints, council investigations in March 2023 revealed commercial storage, distribution and waste transfer at their property. After initially complying with warnings, illegal activities resumed in February 2024, leading to further enforcement action.
Kulwant Malhi was fined £750 and ordered to pay a £300 victim surcharge, while Gurpreet Kaur Malhi received a £1,259 fine and a £504 victim surcharge. Their company, EJD Investments Ltd, was fined £1,920 with an additional £768 victim surcharge. The couple was also ordered to pay Hillingdon Council’s prosecution costs of £1,435.
Cllr Steve Tuckwell, Cabinet Member for Planning, Housing and Growth, said: “This is a great result for our planning enforcement team who work hard to stop crimes like this, which blight our neighbourhoods, put residents at risk, and disrupt their lives.“Our planning laws are in place to keep residents safe and protect the environment, and when required, we will take robust action to enforce them.”
