If your local planning enforcement officers believe that there may be a planning breach with your project, they will issue you with a Planning Contravention Notice (PCN). A PCN is a request from your local planning authority to provide information about a potential breach of planning control.

You may be invited to submit a retrospective planning application, or to cease using your property.

You are legally required to respond to your PCN within the given timescale (normally 21 days), otherwise you may be fined up to £1000. Speak to us today to find out how you can and should respond to your PCN and your best next steps to swiftly resolve the challenges and continue building your dream project.

This is why we suggest that you speak to us first for free, confidential pre-application advice. 

A retrospective planning application is a request for planning permission after work has already started or been completed without official approval. 

You might need to apply if you’ve:

• Received a Planning Contravention Notice
• Built an extension or outbuilding without permission
• Changed the use of your property without permission
• Added a shed or summer house without permission
• Altered a listed building without permission

Speak to our expert team about winning planning approval and continuing with your dream project today.

A planning enforcement notice is a legal document that requires you to fix a breach of planning control. Your enforcement notice should outline the steps required to fix the breach, and the time period that you have to do it in. It can require actions such as:

• Demolition of alteration of a building
• Re-instating a demolished building
• Ceasing an activity
• Restoration of the land
• Building works

You have the right to appeal your planning enforcement notice. Speak to us today to find out how you can appeal and the next steps that you should take to continue with your planning project.

It is almost always worth appealing your enforcement notice, but you have to act quickly (normally within 28 days). Enforcement notices are serious legal documents, and you should always seek professional advice. This 28 days is your window of opportunity to work with our experts to convince the enforcement officer that the notice should be withdrawn.

If you choose not to appeal, the enforcement notice takes effect and you must follow its requirements, which could include:

• demolishing part of your home or property
• Re-instating a demolished building
• Ceasing an activity
• Restoration of the land
• Building works

Our expert team has successfully won appeals and overturned enforcement notices for 100s of clients. Speak to us today to find out how we can work with you to successfully win your appeal.

Planning appeals are handled using written representations, where both sides submit written appeal statements. An Inspector decides the appeal based on written representations and a site visit. The Planning Inspector also considers written responses from any opposing parties, prior to making a decision. 

Our expert team work with you to make sure that the appeal process is straight forward and stress free. Just speak to us today about how we can help you.

We have won secured retrospective planning permission and won enforcement appeals for 100s of clients. 

A retrospective planning application is exactly the same as a regular planning application, apart from the fact that your development is already in place. We can prepare and submit a planning application for you with the amendments necessary for success.

Enforcement appeals can be made and won based on 7 grounds, which we will work with you to establish:

• Planning permission should be granted for the development
• There has been no breach of planning control
• The breach alleged in the enforcement notice has not occurred as a matter of fact
• It is too late for the council to take action (under the 4- or 10-year rules)
• The notice was not properly served
• The requirements of the notice are excessive
• The period for compliance is too short