Enforcing planning control

Planning plays a key role in safeguarding the quality of landscape, buildings and the environment of the National Park. Enforcement is an important part of the planning process by preventing and resolving unauthorised development.

There are two main ways in which a breach of planning can occur:

• Building or engineering works, or changes in the use of land or buildings, that are carried out without planning permission.
• Where planning permission has been granted but the approved plans and/or the conditions attached to the approval notice have not been followed properly.

Our approach to enforcement

In investigating and dealing with apparent breaches of planning, we have to exercise a careful balance between the rights of the individuals concerned and the wider public interest. When dealing with enforcement complaints we will:

• take a balanced approach
• investigate to gather the facts and a full picture of the situation
• negotiate a resolution wherever possible
• encourage a planning application where it would resolve the issue
• when necessary, use enforcement powers to remove or stop harmful development
• when appropriate, take no further action.

We have a Local Enforcement Plan which sets out our policy and procedure for planning enforcement.  This plan is currently being reviewed and the updated plan will be online as soon as possible.

Further Information

• Development Management Committee Meetings and Agendas
• Appeals
• Register for an account to report an unauthorised development

Please note you will need to register for an account to report an unauthorised development, this is to prevent anonymous reporting. Your details will not be shared, but our officers may need to contact you for further information.