Over the last six months we have seen a marked increase in enquiries relating to planning enforcement. Whether that be unauthorised building work, a breach in planning permission or even Planning Enforcement Officers catching up with ‘Covid Breaches’. One thing is for certain, issues rarely go away on their own. 

Whilst many Local Authorities experienced a reduced ability to deal with planning enforcement matters during the pandemic, due to the passage of time, pressure is now mounting to enforce against breaches of planning control before time runs out. We are seeing an ever-increasing number of planning contravention (PCN) and enforcement notices being served. It is important to get your strategy right from the outset. One of the key tools for planning enforcement matters is a PCN which, if not responded to or incorrectly responded to could impact your chance of success in overturning a future enforcement notice. 

If you are struggling with enforcement matters or have received first contact from a Planning Enforcement Officer, including a PCN, please do not hesitate to contact our planning team on 0333 920 2220.