If your local council suspects that a development or change of use has been carried out without planning permission, or doesn’t fully comply with a planning permission, it may issue an Enforcement Notice.

The Notice will normally require that you demolish any unlawful structures or reverse any change of use. Employment of a Planning Consultant to engage with the Council or offer early strategic advice is your greatest chance of a successful defence.

Enforcement Notices are very serious legal documents and you should always seek professional advice.

We are enforcement specialists. We negotiate with councils, encouraging them to withdraw unfair Enforcement Notices. We also submit hundreds of enforcement appeals each year, and win a majority of the appeals we undertake

What are my options?

There are a number of options open to you, including:
• Submitting a retrospective application
• Submitting a Certificate of Lawfulness application
• Negotiations with the enforcement officer
• Appealing the enforcement notice

If an enforcement notice has been served, appealing is usually the best option. An appeal must be submitted within 28 days (or the time set out in the notice). If an appeal is not submitted in time, you lose the right to appeal and the enforcement notice takes effect.

We can help you choose the appropriate route and take you through the process step-by-step.