Webinar for businesses: Compliance demystified
Looking to build, convert or extend your business premises?
Join our free webinar and learn about:
- what development is permitted without a planning application
- breaches of planning conditions - what to avoid and the enforcement process
- advertisements - what's permitted, what's not and the criminal penalties for displaying unauthorised adverts.
We will also talk about various advice services we offer to help businesses navigate their development projects successfully.
Compliance demystified: Planning and development for businesses - Thursday 11 July - 14.00-14.30
You can book a place on Eventbrite using this link: Compliance demystified: book tickets.
Planning enforcement changes April 2024
Immunity periods
The Government are changing the planning enforcement immunity period for unauthorised development in England. This is set out in Section 115 of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023.
From 25 April 2024, the period for which:
- a breach of planning for operational development and
- the change of use of a building to a dwelling
become immune from enforcement action will go from 4 to 10 years. Transition arrangements will still allow a 4 year period if works were substantially completed by 24 April 2024.
Fines
Greater fines can now be imposed for failing to comply with a Breach of Condition Notice. Previously the maximum was £1000 but now potentially there is no limit.
Temporary Stop Notices
These now last for 56 days instead of 28 days previously. A Temporary Stop Notice can now be issued for unauthorised works to a listed building. It is a criminal offence to contravene this Notice.
Enforcement Warning Notices
We can use this Notice if there is a reasonable chance that unauthorised development would receive planning permission. Requires a developer to submit a planning application within a specified timeframe or risk further enforcement action.
Appeals
You cannot appeal against an enforcement notice on the ground that planning permission should be granted for the development, if the unauthorised development has an enforcement notice:
- already refused by the Council and
- any subsequent appeal was dismissed (Enforcement Notice must have been issued within 2 years of appeal decision).
Appeals can now also be dismissed if the appellant causes undue delay.
Telecommunications installations and permitted development
The telecoms advice note provides background information to the public regarding permitted development for telephone masts etc as there’s quite a lot being erected as part of the Project Gigabit fibre broadband project at the moment.
The advice note provides background information on the legislative framework for new telecommunications development, including common projects that may take place on residential streets. Answers to frequently asked questions about telecommunications development can be found at the end of the note.
Planning news April 2024
We have published our Winter planning newsletters:
- Planning News for Local Councils and Agents
- Neighbourhood Planning Newsletter
You can find links to these newsletters on our Planning News page.
Our next newsletter is due end of July 2024.
