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Report a planning breach

The Planning Enforcement Team are experiencing particularly high levels of demand at the moment and have limited resources available to deal with this. As a result, we are having to concentrate on investigating the highest priority cases causing immediate and severe harm. We may not therefore be able to investigate the matter you have raised for some time. We realise that this will be disappointing for you and are trying to rectify this situation as soon as we can.

An officer will be in touch with you when we have had an opportunity to investigate this matter and we would be grateful for your patience and ask that you wait until an officer is able to contact you to update you on the matter you have raised.

You can report possible breaches of planning control to our Planning Enforcement Team.

This includes unauthorised changes of use of land or buildings and work being carried out without planning permission.

Before you send a report to us please check:

For help on how to conduct a search, including using the map, please refer to our 'how to' guides 

Report work in breach of planning control

Report work or uses of land being carried out without planning permission, or in breach of planning permission or other planning controls. This includes:

  • unauthorised development
  • unauthorised works to a listed building
  • breaches of conditions of a planning permission or listed building consent
  • breaches of a section 106 planning obligation
  • unauthorised works to a protected tree
  • unauthorised works to a tree in a conservation area
  • unauthorised advertisements
  • untidy land or buildings

Please provide a site address for a property and a road name or sufficient detail to enable an officer to identify other land.

We do not investigate anonymous enforcement complaints.

Do not use this form for any other planning enquiries or matters not relating to planning.

Personal details of those reporting alleged breaches will be confidential and will not be made public.

Planning enforcement investigation

After you have reported a planning breach

After you submit the form an officer will investigate.

If the development needs planning permission, we may write to the occupier or owner of the property and invite them to make a planning application within a suitable timescale. This is called a retrospective planning application.

If planning permission is not needed we will notify the person reporting the matter (usually in writing).

If planning permission is needed but not applied for, we will decide whether there is sufficient justification to take any further action. 

The Council’s Planning Enforcement Plan (PDF) gives more information on how we will conduct our investigations.

View Enforcement Notices from 1957 to present day

Enforcement notices and guidance