You are here: Home: Environment, planning and building: Planning: Planning enforcement

Planning enforcement

Procedures followed

When a complaint is received, an enforcement officer will visit the site within four weeks to assess if planning regulations are being breached. If it appears that there is a breach, then the person responsible would be asked to take positive action to resolve the breach. Such action could consist of:

1. submitting a retrospective planning application
2. ceasing the unauthorised activities and/or removing any unauthorised development
3. demonstrating that planning permission has been obtained or is not required.

Should no progress be made, formal enforcement has to be considered.

The crucial issue is whether the breach of planning control unacceptably affects public amenity or the existing use of land and buildings meriting protection in the public interest; if it does, then it is expedient to take enforcement action. However, enforcement action should not be taken against trivial or technical breaches of planning control which cause no harm to the surrounding neighbourhood.

Finally, there are time limits for taking enforcement action. Development becomes immune from enforcement action four years after substantial completion, whilst the time limit for most unauthorised activities and breach of conditions is ten years.

back to top