Planning enforcement

Where there has been a breach of planning control, 'enforcement action' may be taken by a local planning authority (LPA) or by the Secretary of State.

Enforcement action includes the issuing and serving of enforcement notices or breach of condition notices. Further forms of enforcement provided by planning legislation are stop notices, injunctions, and measures concerned with amenity, trees, advertisements and conservation. There is a statutory right of appeal to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government against an enforcement notice – but not against other forms of enforcement action. Bear in mind that there are strict time limits for appealing enforcement notices.

This section is maintained by George Mackenzie BA (Oxon), a barrister specialising in planning environment and infrastructure law at Francis Taylor Building, Inner Temple, London.

RICS standards: Compulsory purchase: how is it working

isurv section: Planning appeals