Due to limited resources there is a current delay in investigating complaints and responding to new enquiries. Please read the advice below which sets out where action is not possible and note that anonymous complaints are not normally investigated.
If you want to report a possible breach of planning control, please use our online complaints form providing:
- your contact details (your identity is kept confidential but you may be asked to appear as a witness in some cases)
- the address or location of the land on which the problem is occurring
- details of your concerns, and
- an explanation of how you are being affected (this will help us prioritise the complaint and assess appropriate action)
Please note that anonymous complaints are not normally investigated.
If you wish to informally discuss your concerns prior to the submission of your complaint, please contact an enforcement officer on the following telephone number: (01492) 575272
When planning enforcement action is not possible:
- Where the breach is minor and of no significant impact (devaluing of a property / spoiling a view are not planning matters)
- Where work has become immune from action through the passage of time (4 / 10 year rule)
- Boundary / parking / land ownership / breach of covenant / right to light disputes
- Most circumstances where caravans are stored on driveways (except where separate self contained accommodation has been created)
- Small businesses being run from home where there is no material impact upon the character of the area and the property remains principally a dwelling
- Untidy property which is not visible from a public area
- If your complaint is not a planning enforcement matter, we will ensure your complaint is referred to the appropriate team
Further details of what we do are set out in the attached procedure document.
Enforcement Procedure