That because that's the legal point. He was denied planning  permission, but built it anyway - relying on a rule that says if nobody reports it for 4years it's grandfathered in.<p>But the court ruled that the four years only started from when he removed the concealing straw bales and people could see it.<p>Otherwise I could bury some foundations, wait four years and claiming that nobody had complained I could 'complete' my 40 story apartment complex.