The type of work that people do without permission is often the most harmful to the character and amenity of an area. The planning enforcement team investigate alleged breaches of planning control including:
- unauthorised building development
- unauthorised changes of use
- non-compliance with plans or conditions
- protection of listed buildings and conservation areas
- unlawful advertisements
Planning enforcement notices may be served when development is carried out without planning permission or not in accordance with planning permission that has been granted. Co-operation is sought before taking any action. Failing this we can issue an enforcement notice to stop work or ensure that the terms of the planning permission granted are complied with. Failure to comply with an enforcement notice is an offence and may be subject to a fine.
You can appeal against an enforcement notice. When this happens, the notice does not then take effect until the appeal is decided. However, in some circumstances, we may follow an enforcement notice with a stop notice, which requires that the building work or use is stopped.
A list of 2007 and 2008 planning enforcement notices served is available here.