Agenda item

Planning Enforcement Update

Minutes:

The Committee considered an information item which provided an overview of function and performance of the Corporate Enforcement Service for the period 1st September 2021 – 31st December 2021.

 

During the period in question, the Planning Enforcement Team investigated allegations of planning breaches, as shown below:

           

Number of referrals received                                                                                       

72

 

 

No breach found                                                                                                           

19

Breach resolved                                                                                                             

8

Not expedient to pursue                                                                                                

5

Enforcement Notices issued                                                                                         

4

Requisition of Information Notices (PCN/S16/S330) issued                                       

2

Planning applications received dealing with matters under investigation              

6

Pending consideration                                                                                             

33

 

In addition to this it was noted that a number of enforcement notices had been issued on a number of sites including:

 

·         1-23 St Georges Court, St Georges Road, Camberley, GU15 3QZ – ref: 21/0221/ENF

·         Graylands, Windlesham Road, Chobham, Surrey, GU24 8SN – ref:  20/137/ENF£

·         Hall Grove Farm Industrial Estate, Bagshot, Surrey, GU19 5HP – ref:  21/0059/ENF – (Notice A)

·         Land lying to the East of Hall Grove Farm Industrial Estate, Bagshot, Surrey, GU19 5HP – ref: 21/0059/ENF – (Notice B)

·         19 Bedford Avenue, Frimley Green, Camberley, GU16 6HP – ref: 20/0028/ENF

 

Members noted that with greater additional resource in place, the enforcement service had been concentrating on resolving the highest priority, often historic investigations as well as reviewing internal procedures to ensure that the planning enforcement process was streamlined and efficient. 

 

On reviewing practices in respect of the dealing of retrospective planning applications, the need for the enforcement service to have greater involvement from the outset to provide assistance to case officers and share any vital information was underlined. Furthermore, a new process had now been implemented to ensure that where appropriate, enforcement notices were issued in a timely manner for refused retrospective planning applications with a separate new expediency report template created.

 

The Committee noted that unfortunately, due to a large number of significant high priority urgent investigations in existence, to date, resource had been prioritised to focus on dealing with such investigations. However, the team had made significant progress in reviewing the outstanding investigations and had moved into the new year in a much better position, noting in particular the added temporary resource in the form of an additional Planning Enforcement Officer. Therefore, officers were working to formally commence the compliance role from the start new financial year. Following discussion from Members, it was advised that the monitoring of compliance would be prioritised following a risk-based assessment of sites; and such process could be shared with Members in due course. Moreover, it was noted that an additional software programme, Enterprise, had been procured in order to enable more complex reporting in respect of data, caseloads and workloads.

 

RESOLVED that the update be noted.

 

 

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