Planning Enforcement is important in monitoring developments and investigating alleged breaches of planning control. The Council has powers to investigate unauthorised developments and take appropriate action where necessary.
Breaches of planning control can take a number of forms, including:
- unauthorised changes of use of land or buildings
- work being carried out without planning permission
- breaches of conditions attached to planning permissions
When the Council investigates a breach:
- an assessment is made to decide what action, if any, is necessary
- The Council will usually try to remedy unauthorised breaches through negotiation, rather than immediate action
- negotiation will often include requesting that a retrospective application is submitted or advising what steps should be carried out to address a specific problem with a development
Serious breaches the Council can:
- serve an Enforcement Notice
Where the breach is particularly severe an Enforcement Notice requiring the unauthorised activities to be stopped immediately
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