Enforcement process and policy
The National Planning Policy Framework suggests that councils should publish a local enforcement policy to provide a local framework for investigating and enforcing breaches of planning control. In line with this we have produced an enforcement plan which was agreed by the council.
The government advises that it is good practice to have an Enforcement Policy and is aimed at providing an open and transparent process to give clarity on procedure and to manage expectations of complainants as well as those who have carried out unlawful development. Southampton City Council’s Enforcement policy sets out the following:
This plan provides the framework for a robust planning enforcement service within Southampton, and sets out the following:
- The purpose of planning enforcement
- What is, and is not, a breach of planning control
- How the council decides whether to take enforcement action and possible outcomes
- How the planning enforcement team will deliver the service
- Clarification on how the council prioritises complaints and timescales
- What happens if someone complains about you
- Customer care
