Fidler v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and another – WLR Daily
“Where the construction of an house without planning permission had been concealed by the erection of straw bales and a tarpaulin which had been left in place for over four years after the completion of the house, so that the local planning authority did not become aware of the house until after expiry of that four-year period, the totality of building operations originally contemplated and intended to be carried out by the builder included the erection and removal of the straw bales, with the result that construction had not been substantially completed until the bales had been removed and the four-year period for enforcement had not begun to run until that date.”
WLR Daily, 15th February 2010
Source: www.lawreports.co.uk
Please note once a case has been reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.