A British construction worker who faced penalties for contaminating rivers and cutting down a 176-year-old redwood tree has declared bankruptcy, resulting in an incomplete housing development with several properties left unfinished.
Fiorenzo Sauro, who leads Enzo's Homes Ltd., grabbed attention in 2019 when he was penalized with a fine of £100,000. cutting down approximately 70 protected trees -- which included one of Britain's earliest giant sequoias -- in Swansea .
The previous year, he received a fine of £20,000 when investigations revealed that his firm based in Wales had caused silty contamination in a stream feeding into the River Llwyd while conducting operations in the southern Welsh town of Cwmbran, located within Torfaen county.
Now, the trading firm’s business has gone into collapse, leading to the appointment of liquidators — leaving the 29 houses in the White Cliffs Court project in Dover, Kent, incomplete.
The incomplete building project at the safeguarded National Landscape area has resulted in an eyesore known as a 'monstrous chalk scar,' leading council members to claim this might be 'the one place visible from the moon.'
Houses at the Kent Downs location on the slope of the hills continue to be promoted on Enzo's Homes' website, with prices starting from £300,000 for a three-bedroom property up to £550,000 for a five-bedroom one. The webpage also states: "Every residence comes with a ten-year structural defect warranty ensuring complete peace of mind."
Last year, Dover District Council (DDC) issued an enforcement notice to the developer over a planning breach, ordering it to reinstate the land to its previous levels and cover it with topsoil.
However, this notification has since been challenged — and it will now fall upon the planning inspectorate to determine the next steps "considering the standing of Enzo's Homes," according to a statement from a DDC representative. It remains unclear whether any of these residences have already been purchased.
Enzo's Homes, operating for 13 years, has recently found itself embroiled in various controversies.
It came to light in 2019 that their leader Sauro was involved in this issue. ordered for cutting down a 176-year-old redwood tree, which was a clear violation of its protected status. , as it was adjacent to land he planned to develop into a housing estate.
It was one of 72 safeguarded trees that were cut down as per his orders in 2018, and he was convicted a year afterward. penalized £100,000, a reduction from the initial £300,000 fine imposed following Sauro’s appeal. .
Judge Neale Thomas stated back then that the developer’s claims of innocence seemed empty, remarking, “He wasn’t a credible witness whatsoever,” and noting, “I found very little of his testimony believable.”
The massive redwood, believed to be among Britain's earliest specimens, was planted at the Penllergare country estate near Swansea in 1842. increased to a height of 90 feet with a circumference of 16 feet It included 14 acres of land sold by the city council for development purposes.
In the previous year, he faced yet another penalty due to contamination of a tributary of the River Llwyd in southern Wales with sediment from December 2022 through March 2023. This pollution has adverse effects on fish and various invertebrates as it blocks their gills and diminishes sunlight within the water.
The water contamination, resulting from runoff carrying sediment from an Enzo's Homes construction site, led to the company being penalized with a fine of £20,000.
The organization was additionally required to pay a £2,000 victim surcharge and cover NRW expenses amounting to £7,389.42, following repeated visits from the agency’s personnel due to the situation at hand.
Now, Sauro's Enzo's Homes has gone into collapse, and liquidators have been brought in. Labour ward councillor Michael Nee expressed his deep concerns regarding the situation at the White Cliffs Court site on Folkestone Road, which remains incomplete and has been sealed off with chains.
The representative from the Maxton ward, where the location is situated, stated: "It might be locals who get affected."
It might significantly impact contractors or those who made offers on the properties, potentially forcing them to cover the costs.
'Everything appears uncertain at present. The area might turn into a ghost town if the location is allowed to deteriorate and become abandoned.'
'A fresh developer might step in to complete the project, yet they may need to demolish everything and start over again, causing further distress for the inhabitants who would endure an additional couple of years of disruption.'
People living in the Maxton region, located west of Dover, have turned to social media platforms to voice their worries—especially about the extensive area of exposed chalk resulting from the unfinished building project.
One commented: 'Anyone who tackles the site at this point needs to organize a huge amount of volatile chalk.'
The perspective from my home reveals just how extensive the chalk deposits are – they surely shouldn’t have been permitted.
Another comment added: 'Great, this means it will take even longer to finish.'
As stated on the Enzo's Homes website, this project entails 'a series of 29 newly constructed residences situated along the iconic White Cliffs of Dover': 'Stepping into one of these Enzo’s properties will instantly reveal superior craftsmanship and exceptional build standards that surpass those commonly found in standard new constructions.'
However, progress at White Cliffs Court has encountered numerous issues.
In August, DDC implemented an instant suspension of specific engineering tasks at the location, valid from August 25 through October 18 for a period of two months.
As the development site is located within a specified National Scenery Area, the council expressed worries that the building activities might damage local wildlife and impair the region's aesthetic appeal.
In November, DDC served an enforcement notice regarding the development. According to a spokesperson, the deposition of chalk constituted an 'unauthorized activity,' leading to an 'insensitive modification' of both the site and its surrounding landscape.
The designated area was visible to hikers from great distances — such as those coming from Dover’s Western Heights, a former fortification now converted into a nature reserve approximately three miles distant — starting sometime during the summer of 2023.
Kevin Mills, the council leader from the Labour Party, referred to the appearance of the area as having a 'dreadful chalk scar' due to the incomplete building project, stating that it might be 'the one place visible from the moon.'
DDC's enforcement notice has been challenged, leaving the ultimate decision to be made by the planning inspectorate.
A representative from the DDC stated: "According to the council, the appeal is proceeding as planned—it will ultimately be up to the planning inspectorate to decide considering the current situation with Enzo's Homes."
On February 27, Stephen Goderski and Oliver Collinge from PFK Littlejohn Advisory were named as joint liquidators.
Mr. Goderski stated, "Enzo's Homes operated for almost 13 years before being dissolved. We will work closely with all pertinent parties to ensure the highest possible returns to our creditors."
Enzo's Homes was reached out to for comments.
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