THE owner of a listed building has admitted making ‘an honest mistake’ after renovating the property without the permission of the council.

Bolton Council issued Mohammed Munshi with an enforcement notice asking him to change the alterations he had made back as they did not fit with the character of the listed building.

However, Mr Munshi said that he was unaware he had done anything wrong to 78 St George’s Road and that the alterations had been for safety reasons.

He said: “I had a tenant living in there and I was told that the building was not structurally safe so I had work done to the brickwork on the outside.

“I was told that the building was dangerous and there was a pregnant woman living inside there so of course I was going to get it sorted.

“I had structural engineers come out and we used the best brick possible. The only thing I didn’t do was get in touch with the council, it was an honest mistake.”

Mr Munshi of Properties Investment Limited said he bought the building from boxing promoter Asif Vali two years ago and he claimed that Mr Vali told him that he did not need council permission to do work to the back of the building.

He explained: “I feel angry and it is unfortunate that I decided to listen to the previous owner. Part of the enforcement notice is to do with the windows but I have not done anything to the windows, that was done before I bought it.”

The council issued the enforcement notice after a complaint from a resident that unauthorised alterations had taken place to the building which is also in a conservation area.

A council spokesman confirmed: “We investigated and found that work had taken place without listed building consent. We have been in contact with the owners to advise them on how to resolve the issues.

“As they have not carried out the required work, we have served an enforcement notice, which requires the owner to take a number of steps.”

The enforcement notice took effect on August 16 and Mr Munshi has six months to comply with the conditions of the notice.

He will have to remove the outer skin brickwork, remove a soil pipe, remove four small windows and replace the uPVC window with a sliding sash window.

The notice said that the alterations had had a “detrimental effect on the character and appearance of the listed building.”

Mr Munshi said that he is co-operating with the council, he adding: “I made an honest mistake and I will do what is needed to put it right.”