What happens next?
Once a complaint has been reviewed and it is determined that there is a possible breach of planning control, the case will be allocated to an enforcement officer who, where it is appropriate will make an initial site visit to determine whether there has been a breach of planning control.
We will prioritise complaints in terms of impact and harm. Therefore, the most urgent cases will be visited first.
Once it has been established that a breach of control has or has not taken place we will inform you of what action is open to us and, where possible, how long this action is likely to take. We will update you with the progress of the case at key stages and will inform you of the result of any action when the investigation is completed.
The carrying out of development without planning permission is not a criminal offence and it can take considerable time to remedy a breach of planning control. However we will attempt to resolve breaches of planning control as quickly as possible within the constraints of the existing legislation and where it is assessed as being in the public interest to do so, for example, when planning permission would have been refused.