Five separate parties, including the Director of a construction company and its principal shareholder, have been sentenced for development failures.

The sentences were enforced at Southwark Crown Court on the 9th February due to poor welfare standards at a construction site in Upper Norwood. The site on Chevening Road saw the construction of four flats and four home.

The parties included construction firm, Unicorn Services Limited, its Director, Yi Long Chen, of Oriel Close, Mitcham, and principal shareholder Mou Qiang Chen, of Gonville Road, Thornton Heath, as well as Chalice Homes Limited, and its sole Director Steven Mooney, of Croydon High Street.
 
Both Chen and Mr Mooney had previously been at the root of serious safety concerns at another construction site under their control. Unicorn Services was also served with eight Prohibition Notices in September 2011 at a site near Sylvan Hill, where Mr Mooney received a written warning.

Commenting on the sentences, HSE Inspector Andrew Verrall-Withers said: “Although nobody was harmed at the development site in question, the risks were clear – as evidenced by the fact that both the neighbouring school and a member of the public independently contacted HSE with their concerns.

“Given the long history of previous HSE enforcement and advice against the respective parties, the failure to protect workers, as well as others in the vicinity, was totally unacceptable.

There was no traffic management system, even though the site was situated next to a junior school.

HSE told the court that the standards at Chevening Road had not changed much since initial warnings, and exhibited a “blasé attitude” towards the wellbeing of workers.

All five parties initially pleaded not guilty at the first hearing at Westminster Magistrates, but charges were later admitted last October.

Andrew concluded: “It is extremely disappointing that the defendants made the decision to plead not guilty, elect for a Crown Court trial and then cause numerous delays during the pre-trial procedures.

“The HSE case and weight of evidence was clear from the outset, and the attitude of only acknowledging any wrongdoing at the last possible moment – in this instance the first day of the trial – is telling.”

Steven Mooney, who pleaded guilty to two breaches, was fined £16,000 in total, Mou Qiang Chen, who also pleaded guilty to two breaches, was fined £2,000 and was ordered to pay £5,000 in costs. After admitting to one breach, Yi Long Chen was fined £1,000

Unicorn Services Limited was fined £9,000 for two breaches of the Construction regulations, as well as a single HSWA breach.

Chalice Homes, which is no longer trading, was fined £200 for two CDM Regs breaches.