The owners of an unfinished office building have been ordered to complete it or risk it being demolished.

The developers of the structure in Mortimer Close, Childs Hill, have been issued a deadline to finish the work, as Barnet Council becomes one of the first local authorities to serve a completion notice.

The council’s planning enforcement team have made repeated efforts to ensure the owners improve the appearance of the building, which is currently an unattractive breezeblock shell with no roof.

However, upon it becoming apparent that the building would not be finished within a reasonable timescale, the decision was made to issue Barnet Council’s first ever completion notice.

Permission to build on the site was originally granted in 2007, when an existing storage building was demolished to make way for a new single-storey office building with accommodation in the roof space.

Before building work began in 2013, the council had already issued two enforcement notices requiring the owners to tidy up the site. A further similar notice was then also delivered in 2017, also demanding the site be secured.

No work has been done on the site since 2015, and now the owners have until June of next year to complete the work, or their planning permission will be invalidated and the building demolished.

Cllr Shimon Ryde, chairman of Barnet Council’s planning committee, said: “Owners have a responsibility to make sure their property is properly kept. A building and surrounding site left in this kind of condition is not only unsightly but can be a magnet for anti-social behaviour.

“I hope this serves as a warning to others about the importance of acting responsibly.”

To report a breach of planning control, or for more information about the work of the planning enforcement team, visit www.barnet.gov.uk/planning-enforcement.