Planning enforcement in London: why the capital leads the country
Planning enforcement is far more active in London than anywhere else in England. Of the country’s fifty busiest enforcement authorities, around a third are London boroughs — despite London accounting for only one in ten councils nationally. The Planning Inspectorate decided more enforcement appeals against Brent in the year to March 2026 than against any […]
How Croydon went from one enforcement notice a year to nineteen
Between 2020 and 2022, Croydon Council served roughly one planning enforcement notice a year. In a single year after Executive Mayor Jason Perry took office in 2022, it served nineteen. The Planning Inspectorate has since decided fourteen enforcement appeals against Croydon in the year to March 2026. Compared to Brent or Barnet, those numbers are […]
Planning enforcement in Brent: inside England’s most active council
Brent is the country’s most active enforcement authority If you have received an enforcement notice from Brent, the first thing to understand is that Brent is not a typical authority. It describes itself as “the leading local authority for planning enforcement in the entire country”, and serves more enforcement notices each than almost any other […]
Planning Enforcement in Barking and Dagenham
If you have received a planning enforcement notice from Barking and Dagenham, or a letter from a planning enforcement officer at Be First, you have a problem that needs handling properly and quickly. This is one of the most active enforcement authorities in London, with a planning team that has been deliberately rebuilt over recent […]
What happens if an enforcement appeal fails?
What happens if an enforcement appeal fails? It is usually worth appealing an enforcement notice. An appeal gives you the chance to argue that planning permission should be granted, that there has been no breach of planning control, that the council is out of time, that the notice asks for too much, or that the […]
Does the council have to take enforcement action against me?
When is it ‘expedient’ for a council to take planning enforcement action? If you have carried out development without planning permission, or not quite in accordance with your approved plans, you may be bracing yourself for the worst. But before you assume the council is about to serve an enforcement notice requiring you to demolish […]
NEVER ignore an enforcement notice
What is a planning enforcement notice Councils can take planning enforcement action if they believe there has been a breach of planning control. This usually means one of three things. Something has been built without planning permission. Something has been built differently from the approved plans. Or the use of land or a building has […]
Why your neighbour got away with it: planning enforcement and precedent
It is one of the most common frustrations in planning. You want to build an extension, convert a property, alter a roof or use a building in a slightly different way. The council raises objections. The plans are criticised. You are told the proposal is too large, poorly designed, harmful to neighbours or contrary to […]
What to do if a planning enforcement officer visits your property
How to handle a planning enforcement investigation A visit from a planning enforcement officer can be alarming. For many homeowners and small developers, it is the first sign that something may have gone wrong with a building project. It is easy to assume the worst. People often imagine that the council is about to make […]
Should I appeal an Enforcement Notice?
Appealing an Enforcement Notice If you have received an Enforcement Notice, one of the first questions you will have is whether to appeal it. In most cases, the answer is yes. An Enforcement Notice is a formal legal document requiring you to remedy an alleged breach of planning control, often within a relatively short period […]