An architect has been fined £2,500 by the Architects Registration Board’s Professional Conduct Committee after he entered the wrong dates on a certificate.
Despite claiming the errors were an oversight, Gerald Binmore’s actions were found by the ARB PCC to have amounted to dishonesty.
Back in January 2017, Mr Binmore had been asked to provide an architect’s certificate and a plans detailing when work on his client’s property had been completed.
However, when the client then applied to the local authority for a Certificate of Lawfulness, the date discrepancy came to light.
As a result, the local authority’s Head of Planning lodged an official complaint with the ARB.
During the PCC hearing, Mr Binmore told the panel that he had been open and transparent with the Local Authority and ARB. He admitted that his actions had been wrong and that he had taken steps to rectify the error by advising his client to withdraw the planning application. He also claimed that he had not deliberately set out mislead but had relied on information provided by his client.
The panel found that all allegations against Mr Binmore had been proved and found that his actions were both dishonest and lacking in integrity, which adversely impacted both his reputation and that of the profession.
The PCC also stated that the impact of his actions brought into question the integrity of professional certificates.