Enforcement taken against four properties for planning breaches
- No nonsense approach to planning breaches
- Illegal vehicle storage and untidy land – cleared
- Council sends strong message to those flouting the law
Owners of four properties got a rude awakening when our planning enforcement officers carried out a day of action to remove illegally built extensions.
Following repeated warnings and flouting planning laws, council officers hit them with direct action. That included two sites where unauthorised vehicle repairs took place, and where land was untidy and unsightly. The team cleared waste, dismantled illegal operations, and restored order. Both owners were billed for the cost of clearance.
A further two properties were also visited and following pressure from officers, the owners themselves took the necessary steps to comply with the enforcement notices. This included demolishing an unauthorised outbuilding which had no planning permission.
Cllr Marilyn Ashton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Planning and Regeneration said:
“We don’t mess around when it comes to unlawful developments. The rules are clear - build without planning permission or ignore the conditions, you face the consequences.
“These owners learnt the hard way. This kind of blatant disregard for planning law is unacceptable and unfair to those who follow the rules. No none wants it to come to this. Our officers always look at ways to remedy planning issues voluntarily and amicably – demolitions are a last resort when warnings are ignored.
“We hope this sends a strong message to anyone else who thinks the law doesn’t apply to them. We will not hesitate to take this action on planning breaches.”