A developer has been ordered to pay a £500,000 bill after the company started building work without informing a council.
Heronslea Ltd failed to notify Hertsmere Borough Council when it started work for 55 homes off Bushey Hall Drive in Bushey.
Regulations state a developer must submit a Commencement Notice to its local authority no later than the day before work begins on a development.
The council says officers noticed buildings were demolished and trenches were dug during a routine visit in June 2019, but no Commencement Notice had been received.
Heronslea Ltd had already paid a £1.1 million Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) to the council in March, but must now pay a further £500,000 towards local infrastructure for breaching the regulations.