Find out about the kinds of breach we can investigate and what happens when you report one.
If you report a breach we will:
acknowledge your complaint in writing
confirm the case officer’s details
tell you how long the investigation is likely to take
give you updates on the case when requested, but these will be limited to key decisions and actions
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.
Officers will respond quickly if you report:
unauthorised work on a listed building or tree
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.
Our planning enforcement plan explains:
what counts as a breach of planning rules
how we investigate a case
the type of planning breaches that will be a priority for action