Two of the companies must also pay a total of NOK 250,000 of the profits to the Treasury. Ecocrime believes this is what the companies have earned from the illegal construction.
The case started when a cottage owner wanted to demolish and rebuild a new pool, as well as fill up the terrain. In the beach zone you have to apply for this, but it was not done.
– Can be financially motivated
In a press release on Wednesday, Økokrim writes that this is an important issue. Illegal construction in the beach zone leads to encroachment on nature and restricts the public’s access to traffic along the coast.
Chief State Attorney Hans Tore Høviskeland and the team in Økokrim have been working on this case since December 2019.
Photo: rnelund AS . Photographer
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It also affects biodiversity and can also be financially motivated, according to Økokrim. First State Attorney Hans Tore Høviskeland hopes the punishment is a signal to other companies that they must familiarize themselves with current regulations.
It was the municipality that reported the case to Økokrim. The errors were discovered in connection with that the municipality goes through 500 construction cases. Most cottage owners are given the opportunity to demolish, or reapply. A few are reviewed, such as here.
– In this case, it was committed in the beach zone in an LMF area, without a permit being applied for. This is a violation of the Planning and Building Act, which is now being responded to in the form of these fines, says Høviskeland.
Could anyone have misunderstood?
– I do not see that this is a misunderstanding. This is done by them having investigated further whether there was a permit or not.
What consequences does this have for the cottage owner?
– That case has not been decided yet, but this will probably be done in the near future.
NRK has tried to get in touch with the cottage owners, without success.
Expensive for contractors
Isomur AS has been fined NOK 300,000 and confiscation of winnings of NOK 200,000.
The general manager does not want to comment on the matter. He also will not comment on why they did the work without the municipality being informed.
The company Skyfri Vol2 has carried out terrain interventions by filling in 150-200 cubic meters of blasting rock and approximately 200 cubic meters of soil masses on the leisure property. For these matters, the company has been fined NOK 500,000.
– We are of the opinion that the measures we implemented were in line with current legislation and the administrative practice that applied in Tjøme municipality and are therefore not an illegal intervention in the beach zone, says Siv Galligani in the company.
The company accepts the fine and wants to put the case behind it.
Tjøme excavation has been fined NOK 300,000 and confiscation of proceeds of NOK 50,000 for having carried out the demolition of the existing swimming pool and groundwork for the construction of a new swimming pool and technical room.
This company has not responded to NRK’s inquiries.
The case is part of a case complex that concerns illegal interventions in the beach zone in the former Tjøme municipality and was reported to Økokrim by Færder municipality in December 2019.
The companies have been given a deadline of 15 January 2022 to decide whether to adopt the publishers.
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