Council has ‘serious questions to answer’ after dishing out £10k fine to housing group, tribunal to hear

A housing group claims West Norfolk Council has “serious questions to answer” after dishing out a fine over an electrical safety certificate.JBL Property Group, which runs numerous properties in Lynn and West Norfolk, has accused the authority of being “completely disproportionate” – and is now taking the matter to a tribunal.The company was handed two separate £5,000 fines relating to a seven-bed house of multiple occupancy (HMO) on Tennyson Avenue.

This came after it was ordered to complete another Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) when new rules meant its existing one became invalid.JBL Property Groups claims it completed all the necessary inspections “within the legal timeframe” – but only after an eight-month gap between its original report being submitted and the council confirming it was invalid.Sean Boyd, of Life With Support, a community interest company acting as a McKenzie Friend for the housing group during proceedings, said the company “acted immediately” when notified it had to earn another EICR.

“The council issued financial penalties against JBL Property Group based on a technical issue with an electrical certificate,” he said. “What’s deeply concerning is that the certificate in question was submitted to the council in February 2023 and acknowledged, but no concerns were raised for over eight months.“Then, out of nowhere, they claimed it no longer met the updated five-year requirement and initiated enforcement. “We acted immediately. A new inspection was arranged, followed by minor remedial works and a second inspection that passed the system. All of this was done in line with the legal requirements and within the expected timeframe.“There was no risk to tenants, no refusal to cooperate, and no delay once the issue was made clear. This enforcement feels unnecessary and completely disproportionate.”A borough council spokesman said the authority will not comment on an “ongoing legal matter”. Documents for the tribunal are expected to be submitted by May 23, but Mr Boyd has argued the council is wasting taxpayer money by engaging in the proceedings.He has urged the authority to “seriously reconsider its position before committing further public money and officer time to defend an enforcement action that is disproportionate, procedurally flawed, and plainly unnecessary”.“JBL has an excellent track record,” My Boyd added.“We’ve housed NHS staff, supported quarantine efforts during the pandemic, and gone above and beyond to meet every requirement, no matter how excessive. “For the council to now issue fines after their own delay feels like an attempt to tick a box, meet a target, or justify their department’s budget, not to protect tenants.“If the story here is about compliance, then we complied. If it’s about fairness and public money, the council has serious questions to answer.”