Firm hit with £25k fine

The sentencing comes after the clients and principal contractor of the building project ignored multiple serious health and safety warnings.

There were also reports that bricks had fallen from the scaffold.

Basildon Crown Court heard how London & Essex Property Partnership Ltd, the principal contractor, Ludovic Calo, and commercial client Richard Balls were involved in the construction of two homes.

Healthy and safety concerns were raised by the public after building work began on the semi-detached houses on Central Wall Road, Canvey.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) visited the site five times between July 26, 2017 and March 23, 2018 - where they identified ongoing health and safety breaches.

Despite numerous enforcement notices and letters, serious breaches of health and safety law continued, with a failure to comply to the notices.

An investigation by HSE found joint clients, London & Essex Property Partnership Ltd and Richard Balls, failed to make suitable arrangements to manage the project.

They found Ludovic Calo failed to ensure construction work was carried out safely and did not comply to improve health and safety on site.

London & Essex Property Partnership, Stanford-le-Hope, were found guilty of breaching sections of the construction regulations 2015. The company was fined £20,000 and order to pay costs of £5,000.

Ludovic Calo, from Walthamstow, was found guilty of breaching the same regulations and ordered to pay £5,000. He also received a 29 week suspended custodial sentence and three months electronic curfew.

Richard Balls, from Bishops Stortford, was also found guilty and faced the same punishment as Mr Calo.

HSE inspector Glyn Davies, said: “Property developers and construction firms should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to prosecute those who fall below the required standards, especially where advice and enforcement fails to improve their management of health and safety.”