Planning Enforcement

What are my options if the Council takes Planning Enforcement Action?

A Council may take Enforcement Action where they believe a breach of planning control has taken place. At RBA Town Planning, we have excellent knowledge of Enforcement Procedures and Practice; with our involvement we can often resolve conflicts between the Council and your unauthorised development with limited stresses.

The key to success with all Enforcement matters is the early engagement of Planning Experts, like us. Failure to act promptly has consequences that could affect your property or land and any future sale.

There are several different Notices a Council can issue, however the most common are;

• Planning Contravention Notice – a list of fact finding questions.
• Breach of Condition Notice – issued if in breach of a condition of a permission.
• Enforcement Notice – issued against unlawful development and changes of use.

Councils Planning Enforcement Section

Receiving any form of communication from the Councils Planning Enforcement Section can be worrying and cause significant amounts of stress. The wording of such communication can often be quite intimidating, threatening the imposition of large fines and the demolition of property. The golden rule is to not panic, but talk to someone in the know who will look after your best interests and not the Councils; in doing so you increase your chances of resolving the issue before it escalates.

If you are in receipt of any communication relating to an alleged breach of Planning Legislation it is important to not delay taking appropriate advice and so the RBA Team offer a free initial assessment of your case, at no obligation to you.