Tunstall landlord ordered to pay over £8,000 as heritage crackdown reaches 100th building

Monday, 24 August 2026 13:36

Nour House Ltd and its directors have been ordered to pay more than £8,000 after failing to repair a historic building in Tunstall.

Tunstall landlord ordered to pay over £8,000 as heritage crackdown reaches 100th building

A company and its two directors have been ordered to pay a combined £8,386.98 after failing to carry out required repairs to a historic building in Tunstall.

Nour House Ltd and its directors, Mrs Hind Nour and Mr Paul Nour, pleaded guilty to breaching an enforcement notice concerning 179 High Street.

The late 19th century, three storey brick building stands within the Tower Square Conservation Area and occupies a prominent position close to Tunstall Town Hall, Tunstall Market Hall and the Clock Tower.

Formerly used as a retail unit, the building retains several original architectural features. These include decorative arched window details, stone sills and mullions, brick cornicing and decorative brickwork at roof level.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council first received complaints about the condition of the property in October 2023. Planning enforcement officers conducted several visits during 2024 and found that it was in a poor state of repair following a period of neglect.

A Section 215 notice was served on Nour House Ltd on 11 March 2025, requiring repairs and maintenance work to be completed. The notice took effect on 14 April 2025 and gave the owner six months to comply.

The enforcement action began before the building was damaged by fire in May.

Further inspections during 2025 confirmed that the required work had not been completed. Despite repeated attempts by the council to engage with the owners, the repairs were not carried out.

Failure to comply with a Section 215 notice is a criminal offence under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

The company and its directors were ordered to pay £2,880 in fines, £4,354.98 in costs and £1,152 in victim surcharges.

Mrs Hind Nour received a £660 fine, reduced to £440 following an early guilty plea. She was also ordered to pay a £176 victim surcharge and £1,451.66 in costs, bringing her total to £2,067.66.

Mr Paul Nour received a £660 fine, also reduced to £440 following an early guilty plea. He was ordered to pay a £176 victim surcharge and £1,451.66 in costs, totalling £2,067.66.

Nour House Ltd was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay an £800 victim surcharge and £1,451.66 in costs, giving a total of £4,251.66.

The prosecution is the latest case in a citywide heritage enforcement drive which has now resulted in action being taken on more than 100 buildings.

Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, Cabinet Member for Growth, Regeneration and Transport, said:

“People all across our city are sick of walking past buildings left to rot. So am I. If you own a historic building in Stoke-on-Trent and you walk away from it, we will come after you.

“We declared a heritage emergency in this city because too many important buildings had been left to decline for too long. Since then we have taken enforcement action on more than 100 buildings, and we are restoring 24 more through our Centenary Restoration Fund. This prosecution shows that where owners ignore us, we are prepared to follow it all the way to court.

“This building sits at the heart of Tunstall, yards from the Town Hall and the Clock Tower. It was left to fall apart by a company hundreds of miles away that decided it wasn’t their problem. It is our problem, and we have dealt with it. We will continue to do so because Stoke-on-Trent deserves better."