Planning Enforcement Charter 2024

Non-Planning Matters

Where an enquiry relates to non-planning matters, these cannot be investigated or addressed through planning enforcement. Issues which must be addressed by the individuals involved include neighbour disputes or civil issues such as:

• The ownership of land: if someone has undertaken development on your land, we can only consider the requirement of planning permission and need for enforcement action. If formal action is to be taken, the planning authority is required to serve an enforcement notice on the owner of the land (ie yourself), as well as other interested parties. For this reason, you should seek your own legal advice on how best to address the issue.
• Connection to utility services: when applying for planning permission, developers are required to confirm to the planning authority what water or sewerage connections are required for the proposed development. However, provision of these services is a civil matter and/or a matter for any statutory undertaker to approve any such connections and investigate any associated concerns.

If your enquiry relates to another function of the Council, we will direct this to the appropriate department. If unauthorised works or development are being undertaken on a Council-owned property, you should report these works to the relevant department such as housing, education or estates in the first instance.