Croydon Council has reaffirmed its approach to taking robust action against developers who fail to comply with planning controls and cause harm to Croydon’s special character and natural environment as a result.

In two separate cases, the Council’s planning enforcement team has successfully prosecuted against developers who ignored legal requirements attached to their planning permissions. This is in line with Executive Mayor Jason Perry’s commitment to sustainable development that protects Croydon’s history and green spaces.

At Grace Heights, 43 Woodcote Valley Road, Purley, the developer who had been granted permission to build a block of flats failed to deliver approved landscaping and bin‑store works in accordance with the conditions of the planning consent, despite repeated requests from the Council. After serving a Breach of Condition notice, with which the developer did not comply, the Council pursued prosecution when the developer continued to ignore the requirements.

The developer, Mr Duyile Adegbuyi of Dunamis Construction, failed to attend the hearing at Croydon Magistrates’ Court and was convicted in his absence. He was fined £50,000, ordered to pay a £2,000 victim surcharge and the Council’s full costs of £12,751.41 – all payable within 28 days.

In a separate case, the Council took court action after two protected trees in prime condition, an A‑category Horse Chestnut and a B‑category Ash, were illegally damaged at a site in Woodfield Hill, Coulsdon, leaving them unsafe and needing to be removed.

Developer Mark McElduff, director of Mac Group Limited, was originally found guilty in January 2025 and later appealed. Following a two‑day appeal hearing at Croydon Crown Court in January, the Judge upheld the Council’s case, finding McElduff had acted negligently. He was ordered to pay a £5,000 fine, £2,500 in costs, and a £500 victim surcharge.

“Residents rightly expect developers to respect our borough’s character and natural environment and to follow the rules that are there to protect them. This is part of my zero-tolerance approach to those who flout such rules.

“These cases show that we will not hesitate to take strong, decisive action against developers who ignore planning conditions and fail to respect our borough’s character and natural environment. We will continue to stand up for our communities and preserve what makes Croydon such a special place to live.”

Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon