About planning breaches

Sometimes development is carried out without the required planning permission or without following the details and conditions given by the council. We enforce planning rules to ensure that works do not ruin the look and safety of an area and its community.

Planning enforcement will be considered for:

unauthorised building works, use or operations
breach of planning conditions
unauthorised display of advertisements
unauthorised work on protected trees
unauthorised work on listed buildings
unauthorised demolition of some buildings within a conservation area
unauthorised storage of hazardous materials
removal of protected hedgerows
allowing land to fall into such poor condition that it harms the quality of the area
harm to a Site of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI).

We will not investigate:

boundary disputes
neighbour disputes
legal covenants
damage to property
devaluation to property
unsafe structures
trespass
neighbour lifestyle clashes
graffiti and anti-social behaviour
parking disputes
cars for sale on the public highway.

Independent legal advice should be sought to resolve these issues.

How enforcement is prioritised

Many people do not realise that enforcement powers are discretionary, to be used only when needed. Unacceptable development will not be tolerated.

To best use the limited resources currently available, when a breach of planning is reported, a desk-top assessment will be carried out. This will look at the level of harm that the potential unauthorised development may be causing in planning terms.

If the harm is not considered to be significant and it is unlikely that formal enforcement action would be pursued, then an enforcement case will not be set up and an investigation will not be undertaken.

The Planning Service deals with a significant number of cases investigating alleged breaches of planning control and pursuing formal enforcement action where necessary. This workload is on the increase and this means we need to prioritise cases accordingly.

Sites of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI)

Sites of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI) include our most spectacular habitats, and each has a management plan and requires consent before works are carried out.

It's a criminal offence to harm a Site of Specific Scientific Interest and can result in a fine of up to £20,000 or, on conviction, an unlimited fine.

Search for a Site of Specific Scientific Interest

How to report a breach

Find out how you can report a planning breach.