Breaches of planning control
A breach of planning control most often occurs when development is carried out without the required planning permission or when conditions attached to a granted permission are not complied with. For example, when new buildings are erected or the use of land is materially changed without planning permission. However, there are other types of planning breaches which will be investigated by planning enforcement.
Types of breaches, which the Council’s planning enforcement officers may investigate include:
- Unauthorised works to protected trees
- Unauthorised works to listed buildings
- Failure to comply with a high hedges remediation notice
- Demolition in conservation areas without the necessary consent
- Unlawful advertisements displayed without Advertisement Consent
- Unauthorised building works and engineering operations
- Material changes of use of land and buildings which require planning permission
- Untidy land & buildings which adversely harm the local amenity of an area
- Non-compliance with conditions attached to planning permissions
- Departures from approved details
- Use of outbuildings as separate dwellings (beds in sheds)
- Failure to comply with a legal agreement
- Deliberate concealment
- Breach of s106 legal agreement obligations
- Non payment of Community Infrastructure Levy
Investigations into alleged planning control breaches are conducted in accordance with the relevant PACE Codes of Practice as set out in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (as amended) and RIPA The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.