Planning Enforcement

Overview

Planning enforcement deal with cases where development has been carried out without permitted development rights or planning permission, unauthorised advertisements, tree protection, and non-compliance with conditions attached to planning approvals.

Want to inform us of a planning issue?

If you are concerned about a development near you which you think does not have planning permission, you can tell us or ask us about it by using our online enforcement complaint form.

Contact the Planning Enforcement Team.

Alternatively, you can contact us by post

Please note that all complaints will be dealt with confidentially.

Where unauthorised development has taken place, the Council may take enforcement action. This is a discretionary power, which Government states should only be undertaken if the Council would not have granted planning permission had an application been submitted.

Enforcement Notices

Are legal documents which can be served on people who have built something without the required permissions.  A notice could:

• Stop or prevent an activity
• Request the removal of an unauthorized building or extension
• Ask for a development to be changed to make it more acceptable

Anyone receiving an enforcement notice can appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.

Guidance about making an appeal against an enforcement notice is available on the Planning Portal.