Essex County Council may initiate formal enforcement action against an individual or company for two reasons:
- Where unauthorised development has taken place
- Where planning conditions / limitations have not been followed
The principles and procedures which underline Essex County Council's approach to planning enforcement action are set out in the council's Enforcement concordat.
Informal discussions between the operator and the relevant officer will take place in the first instance to see whether the issue can be resolved without recourse to more formal action. However, in the event that it is not possible to resolve the issue informally, enforcement action may be taken.
Essex County Council provides quarterly summaries of enforcement action, and records of action are kept online for one year following their publication:
Planning Enforcement Report April 2011
Planning Enforcement Report January 2011
Planning Enforcement Report October 2010
Planning Enforcement Report July 2010
Operators have a right to appeal Enforcement notices to the Secretary of State via the Planning Inspectorate.