Guide Enforcement action

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2. Report a planning breach

Not all development needs consent from us, as legislation gives permission for certain works and changes of use. This is commonly called 'permitted development'.

You could check whether the work that you are concerned about needs specific permission by going to the Planning Portal website. This site provides information about permitted development rights, which includes interactive guides to common projects.

Start the journey

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More info about the journey

You will need to let us know:

  • the full address of the site that you are concerned about, or marked on a plan
  • a detailed description of the works including the date/time it began and how it affects you
  • your name and contact details (please note that we must have your details in order to investigate your concerns, however, they will be kept confidential)
  • name and contact details of the owner of the site or person/organisation responsible (if known)
  • photographs of the works (where possible)

Once a complaint is received, we will decide whether there has been a planning breach. If a breach has occurred, the appropriate course of action will be taken, depending upon the nature of the issue.

The time taken to deal with an enforcement case can vary greatly depending upon the nature of the investigation.

We will let you know about the outcome of an investigation if you requested this when you made your complaint to us.

When this content has been updated

Last updated 15 January 2024