Report a planning breach
Find out about the kinds of breach we can investigate and what happens when you report one.
Contents
What happens next
If you report a breach we will:
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acknowledge your complaint in writing
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confirm the case officer’s details
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tell you how long the investigation is likely to take
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give you updates on the case when requested, but these will be limited to key decisions and actions
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let you know the investigation outcome
If we identify a breach, how we handle it will depend on the severity and type of breach.
We may visit the property to check for a breach. If they has been a breach we'll negotiate an agreeable solution.
If they've clearly broken the law and do not cooperate they could be prosecuted.
Response time
Officers will respond quickly if you report:
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unauthorised work on a listed building or tree
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demolition in a conservation area
We aim to make a decision on 70% of cases within 12 weeks.
If we have to take formal action it may take a long time before we can conclude a case.
Find out more
Our planning enforcement plan explains:
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what counts as a breach of planning rules
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how we investigate a case
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the type of planning breaches that will be a priority for action