Due to staff shortages, we are currently unable to offer the service standard outlined in the Development Management Enforcement Plan 2022. We will be providing a reduced service and are unable to investigates all complaints. We will prioritise cases based on urgency and impact on amenity. We apologise for any inconvenience.
Development Management Enforcement Plan
Our Development Management Enforcement Plan sets out the polices and procedures that we follow, and the level of service we deliver.
The purpose of the plan is to:
- define the service we provide
- identify priorities and objectives to ensure we make the most effective use of our resources
- provide advice and information to:
- anyone complaining about a potential breach of planning permission
- anyone who may have breached planning permission
- members of the public
Interim arrangements
Scope
The interim arrangements should be read in conjunction with the Development Management Enforcement Plan 2022.
Purpose of interim arrangements
The Planning Enforcement team are currently severely under-resourced. As such, it is not possible to deliver the level of service outlined in the Development Management Enforcement Plan. We anticipate that these interim arrangements will remain in place until spring 2025, whilst recruitment is underway.
What we will not do
During this period we will not be able to:
- investigate all complaints made to us. We will assess potential breaches of planning control when we receive them, and we will base our actions on the potential impact, harm and seriousness of the alleged breach. We will give priority to those cases where the greatest harm is being caused. We may reprioritise individual cases as our investigation progresses, where new and relevant information comes to light.
- provide routine updates or respond to ad-hoc communication.
- provide detailed advice about how to resolve a breach of planning control. We will only provide planning advice through our pre-application advice process (fees apply).
- take enforcement action just because development has taken place without the necessary permission. We will assess the harm and effect on public amenity, as well as all other relevant planning harm, of the unauthorised development before deciding what action to take.
- take action based on the number of separate breaches identified, or the number and/or vociferousness of individual complainants.
- investigate vexatious or frivolous complaints, or those made principally for the purposes of eliminating or diminishing business competition.
Additionally, we will not investigate:
- neighbour disputes and boundary disputes, unless clear planning issues are identified
- hobbies or activities that take place as part of the residential enjoyment of a person’s home
- sewers, soakaways and most other drainage matters
- anonymous complaints, unless what is alleged is ‘high priority’ in nature
- nuisance related to building works, unless clear planning issues are identified
- business uses operating from residential properties where no evidence is provided (you must provide a log covering a minimum period of 14 days when making a complaint. This should include times, dates and activities.)
- complaints that would appear, from the information provided, to fall under a different legislative framework, such as Building Regulations, The Party Wall Act, Environmental Health or highway issues
- issues that are clearly not planning related, such as matters regarding land ownership, deeds or covenants
Timescales
During this period, we cannot commit to our usual service standards or meeting our usual targets as set out in the Development Management Enforcement Plan 2022. Response times may also be slower than usual.