JUST a month after trying to broker a 'truce' in a long-running planning battle with Thurrock Council, a borough property developer found himself on the wrong side of the law and has been ordered to pay £17,000 in fines and costs.

It's just a month since Thurrock Nub News reported on what was then the latest development in a long-running dispute over the Lawns development of 12 completed homes in East Tilbury.

Tom Ingleton, director of Ingleton Luxury Homes, has been locked in a legal battle with the council over the development, which remains incomplete and in a poor state of maintenance.

In August, Mr Ingleton said he would be cleaning up the site in the hope of restarting dialogue with the council over his attempt to reduce the Section 106 community payment he owed it.

However, last week the council took him to magistrates 'court, alleging he had failed to comply with previous court orders.

The case was proved before magistrates at Colchester, who were told Mr Ingleton had allowed the Lawns Court site, which he has planning permission to build 18 homes on, to become a dangerous blight, filled with rubble and debris from the construction and building works undertaken there.

Despite his statement in august, the court was told Mr Ingleton refused to clear the mess he had created, or comply with orders issued by the Council which ordered him to do so.

It's not the first time Mr Ingleton has come out on the wrong side of a court verdict. In 2024 he had to pay out nearly £7,000 in fines and was ordered by magistrates to clear the site, an order the council says he did not follow.

Ater branding Mr Ingleton as a 'rougue developer', a spokesperson for Thurrock Council said: "This developer stubbornly refused to clear his site despite being ordered by the Council and the courts. His selfish actions created an unsightly and possibly dangerous mess that blighted the lives of his neighbours.

"His refusal to act forced us to bring legal action against him more than once, issue orders for him to clear the site and pursue him through the courts before he obeyed those orders, took responsibility for his mess and started work to clear it.

"This case shows we will doggedly pursue those who think they can flout our orders and negatively impact local communities. We will now be keeping a careful eye on this site to make sure full and proper clearance takes place in line with the court orders."

The Lawns timeline:-

August 2026: https://thurrock.nub.news/news/local-news/developer-changes-tack-in-longrunning-legal-and-planning-battle-with-council-over-blighted-homes-site-304725

May 2026: https://thurrock.nub.news/news/local-news/developer-loses-appeals-against-council-in-long-running-dispute-over-controversial-housing-site-295068

October 2025: https://thurrock.nub.news/news/local-news/lawns-court-developer-calls-for-community-support-ahead-of-public-inquiry-274286

May 2025: https://thurrock.nub.news/news/local-news/angry-developer-blasts-thurrock-council-again-after-he-is-brought-before-court-for-a-second-time-over-state-of-new-estate-council-maintains-he-has-failed-residents-and-village-community-by-creating-an-eyesore-260064

July 2024: https://thurrock.nub.news/news/local-news/developer-blasts-council-in-court-but-ends-up-having-to-pay-for-not-keeping-village-residential-development-site-safe-and-tidy-234610

October 2022: https://thurrock.nub.news/news/local-news/village-land-that-has-caused-concern-for-residents-is-up-for-sale-will-it-mean-completion-at-last-of-eyesore-estate-154729

April 2022: https://thurrock.nub.news/news/local-news/residents-say-village-housing-development-site-is-an-eyesore-and-a-health-hazard-and-time-has-come-for-action-130054

February 2021: https://thurrock.nub.news/news/local-news/developer-applies-to-council-for-big-cut-in-community-payment-saying-land-was-wrongly-valued-community-could-lose-out-on-hundreds-of-thousands-if-he-is-right