Planning enforcement
Our planning enforcement officers will investigate any alleged breaches of planning control.
The district covers a large area of attractive countryside with many historic towns and villages. Pressure for development is high thus there is a constant need for the vigilant enforcement of planning control in the public interest in order to prevent damage to this valuable environment.
We serve enforcement notices when expedient in the public interest and has successfully taken court action against offenders, through the courts - whether criminal prosecution, or high court injunction.
The integrity of the development control process depends on the local planning authority's readiness to take effective enforcement action and the Government's support of enforcement action on appeal when unacceptable development occurs without planning permission.
Planning Enforcement Policy
We have an up to date Planning Enforcement Policy (PDF, 270 KB) which sets out what we do and how we do it. It will help you to understand how we operate.
Report an issue
You can report a possible breach of planning regulations to us.
Supporting evidence
You can upload up to three images, PDFs or documents if you want to send evidence of the problem you're reporting.
After you have reported an issue
Our planning enforcement officers will then investigate any alleged breaches of planning control.
Appealing an enforcement notice
We may send you an enforcement notice if you have built or changed something without planning permission.
You can make an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate against an enforcement notice if you own, rent or lawfully occupy the property or land it applies to.
Find how to appeal an enforcement notice on GOV.UK.
You can also search for a case on the appeals casework portal.
Enforcement register
To see if we've taken formal action against a breach of planning rules in your area, you can search for planning enforcement notices that we have issued on our Enforcement Register.
The register has information on notices including:
- the address of the property the notice is for
- the nature of the complaint
- the date the notice was issued
- details of the type of notice
- the decision