A builder from Sarisbury Green whose work was “potentially one of the worst examples of building practices” a council inspector had witnessed has been fined and ordered to pay compensation.
Shane Truckle – also known as Shane Taylor – a director of Tailored Carpentry Ltd in Woodlands Close, had been paid more than £32,000 for work to a house in Fareham that could actually have led to some parts of the building collapsing.
Truckle was found guilty in his absence at Fareham Magistrates’ Court of 26 building regulations offences for the work he was doing on a house in Kiln Road, Fareham.
The court heard he had failed to provide adequate waterproofing, adequate thermal insulation and adequate structural support. The contraventions were significant, with many having an impact on the stability of the property.
He was fined £5,200 for the breaches, and ordered to pay £4,540 in costs to Fareham Borough Council, and a £15 victim surcharge. He was also ordered to pay compensation to the home owner of £18,423.
The rubbish left behind in the garden of the house in Kiln Road
However it is believed the remedial action needed on the homeowner’s property to put right Truckle’s work could be close to double the £18,000 awarded in compensation.
The building works involved renovating a conservatory to form an extension, adding new dormer windows to the existing loft rooms and a range of internal alterations.
Paul Gosling, Building Control Area Team Manager for Fareham Borough Coiuncil, found that Tailored Carpentry Ltd had left the site leaving unfinished works and a house not fit to be lived in.
The site was covered in builders’ waste and rubbish. There was no heating, the electrical work was unfinished and parts of the property were not watertight. The structure of the building itself also appeared inadequate in places.
Detailed inspections of the building works found 26 contraventions of the Building Regulations, some of which related to major structural deficiencies which if not addressed could have had serious consequences.
Mr Truckle had quoted £37,000 to carry out the building works, although this did not include any materials. The owner of the property had paid him £32,023.05, 86 per cent of the contract value. However, the works were not 86 per cent complete.
Much of what had been done was inadequate and would require significant remedial works to correct.
Mr Gosling, the investigating officer, said: “During my 17 years’ experience in Building Control this is potentially one of the worst examples of building practices I have witnessed from a builder.
“The defects and contraventions identified suggest that the builder did not have a suitable level of competence to be carrying out building works in a manner which would satisfy the minimum requirements of the Building Regulations.
“Tailored Carpentry Ltd created a notable number of significant defects, many structural defects, which if not corrected could have resulted in structural collapse of areas of the building.”
Executive Member for the Building Control Partnership, Councillor Trevor Cartwright, said: “The offences represented a serious and dangerous breach of the Building Regulations which had potentially put the homeowner at significant risk.
“I am pleased that the builder was found guilty of the contraventions and I am also pleased that the courts have ordered the builder to pay a considerable amount of compensation to the owner to assist with the rebuilding of her home.”
Mr Truckle was given nine chances to put his side of the story to Fareham Council’s investigators but either declined or ignored requests to attend. He also failed to attend any court hearings.