A FRUSTRATED residents' association is writing to the council about a "neighbour from hell" who has flouted council and High Court rulings over planning permission.

The Dale View Residents' Association (DVRA), in Chingford, has sent a letter to the council claiming that businessman Brian Gage is turning a garage off Dale View Avenue into homes without proper permission.

A DVRA member said: "The council should put a stop building notice on this development. I could see he was moving building materials onto his land but we couldn't initially see what he was using them for.

"Then we discovered he was turning the garage into living accommodation and was also building chalet bungalows. This man has made residents' lives a misery and should be jailed.

"The council shouldn't grant him permission and refer to the High Court rulings which he has flagrantly ignored."

This is not the first time Mr Gage has been involved in controversy.

He disregarded numerous planning laws and three High Court judgements since the 1980s, building bungalows, a swimming pool, a garage, grazing horses, and has ran his airport bus company from land behind the crescent.

Chingford MP Iain Duncan Smith said: "This case keeps coming back. It is very important that the council enforces proper planning decisions something that they have failed to do in the past. I am interested that the authority is beefing up the enforcement side of the planning department.

"I will be waiting with interest to see the council's reaction."

The council has pledged to get tough on rogue developers who have not sought planning permission.

It can order building work to be halted and if it continues the offending developer can be fined £20,000.

If it is taken to court the developer can be fined an unlimited amount.

An associate of Mr Gage said: "He no longer runs his business and is retired. The High Court ruling refers to his house and he has complied with it fully.

"Planning law recently changed allowing retrospective planning to take place."

The Guardian asked the council to comment but it failed to respond before we went to press.