A millionaire property developer has been forced to repair or replace historic green tiles ripped off a pub in the city.

A government-appointed planning inspector has rejected an appeal by developer Charlie Southall, owner of the Montreal Arms in Albion Hill, Brighton, and has demanded that tiles damaged or removed by the unauthorised work must be reinstated.

Workers hacked away at tiles from the Montreal Arms in Albion Hill, Brighton, in March last year as the developer handed out leaflets to residents claiming the tiles were beyond repair.

The act, which came after Mr Southall abandoned a crowdfunder to renovate the pub to house Ukrainian refugees, caused uproar across the city and was described as “utter vandalism” by Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas.

The Argus: The historic tiles were hacked away from the pub's facade in March last yearThe historic tiles were hacked away from the pub's facade in March last year

Brighton and Hove City Council issued an enforcement notice following the incident, requiring the tiles to be replaced within one year.

However, the process had been halted while an appeals process was underway.

Mr Southall now has a year to comply with the requirements of the notice. The replaced tiles must match the condition of the historic tiles before the unauthorised work took place.

Councillor Liz Loughran, chairwoman of the council’s planning committee, said: “I am very pleased that the inspector has backed the prompt actions taken by our planning team to protect this historic building.

“The inspector rightly recognised that the tiles are an important part of character of the Montreal Arms and made a significant contribution to the character of the building.

“The damage to the tiles has caused a great deal of upset for many in the local community.

“Brighton and Hove has unique historic buildings and we are committed to protecting them by taking swift and effective action against unauthorised building work.

“This is a great example of how we will take enforcement action to protect our city’s heritage.”

The Montreal Arms is included in the city’s locally listed buildings register and was listed on the city’s assets of community value register in May last year.