A DETERMINED resident who campaigned for eight months to get an eyesore removed from his road says Hillingdon Council acted unlawfully.
Peter Silverman, 66, of Kingsend, Ruislip, first went to the council years ago about getting the ugly hoarding outside the front of 45 Kingsend replaced.
The hoarding was put up in 2000 after the house that stood there was knocked down, and it quickly became dilapidated.
The council said it could do nothing about it, but Mr Silverman decided eventually that something had to be done and he complained again last August.
He pointed out that it had the power under the Town and Country Planning Act.
Officials agreed and put in a report to the north planning committee to issue a notice against the owners.
The meeting was held in December last year, but the public were excluded when the hoarding was discussed.
Mr Silverman said: "I have no idea why they put it as a private matter because I don't see why it's in the public interest to withhold the information.
"They are also meant to tell the committee why the public are being excluded but there's no evidence that they did this.
"They did what we wanted them to do but they did it unlawfully."
A notice was attached to the hoarding on March 13 telling the owner to fix it and it was finally removed and replaced last Wednesday.
Mr Silverman said: "For years the council were saying they couldn't deal with eyesores
"If they had followed procedures it would have saved time and energy."
James Rodger, head of planning and enforcement at the council, said: "Hillingdon Council has served a notice to the developer to replace the hoarding with a secure fence to minimise any adverse visual impact the site may have on the area and will be meeting with them to ensure this takes place."
Go to www.hillingdon-watch.org.uk .
