Barratt prosecuted for falsely advertising properties

Barratt Homes has been fined by Bury Council for breaching the Property Misdescriptions Act.

Barratt had advertised in a local newspaper that a development at Hamilton Place, Walmersley Road, included secure parking - when it did not.

A complaint was received by Bury's Council's trading standards department.

The case rested on whether "secure parking" meant there had to be some form of security for the parking area, such as a barrier, but no such security existed.

Barratt told the court they interpreted the word "secure" as meaning "secure by design", but pleaded guilty after admitting that it could be interpreted differently by the public.

Magistrates fined Barratt £2,500, plus costs of £2,255.