What are the Council’s priorities for enforcement?

Whilst enforcement is an important area of our work, which generates a great deal of interest within the community, there are enormous pressures on resources. The Council receives approximately 400 planning enforcement complaints every year and has presently one dedicated Planning Enforcement Officer.

Due to the lengthy and complex nature of planning investigations and limited staff resources, it is necessary to give priority to these cases where the greatest harm is being caused.

The Council has recently reviewed its planning enforcement priority system in order to take account of high public demand and expectations. Because of the cost of an action against a breach of planning control, which may require a lengthy investigation, site surveillance and legal action over many months, the Council has to give priority to those cases where greatest harm is being caused.

What is Enforcement Action?

Extremely High Priority
Where a case is categorised as Extremely High Priority immediate action will be initiated to address the breach of control.

• A serious threat to health and / or safety. (e.g. traffic hazard, storage of hazardous substances, development creating pollution problems)
• Permanent damage to environment (e.g. loss of protected tree, unauthorised work affecting the character of a listed building).

High Priority

• Building work, which is unlikely to be given planning permission without substantial modification. (e.g. excessively large house extension)
• Unauthorised uses causing severe nuisance through noise, smells, congestion etc.

Medium Priority

• A breach causing problems, which may be resolved by, limited modification (e.g. insertion of opaque glazing in an unauthorised window to overcome privacy problems; restrictions on hours of use etc).
• Property whose condition adversely affects the amenity of the surrounding neighbourhood. The severity of the property’s condition will depend whether it is given a priority high or medium rating.
• Any unauthorised development where the time-limit for enforcement action will expire within the next six months.

Low Priority

• Breaches of a minor nature raising minimal planning concerns. (e.g. house extension built to acceptable standards, but differing from approved drawings).
• Anonymous complaints. The council wishes to discourage anonymous complaints to help minimise trivial or malicious complaints.