Planning breaches

In most cases people follow planning procedure correctly but sometimes we come across a planning breach.

In those cases it is necessary to take appropriate action to prevent the harmful effects of unauthorised development in the Broads.

What is a planning breach?

A planning breach can be either development which has no planning permission or development which doesn't comply with planning conditions. We deal with a wide range of potential issues. Among the most common are:

  • Unauthorised change of use of land or buildings
  • Unauthorised piling or quay-heading
  • Unauthorised mooring use, including residential use of craft
  • Untidy land and failure to comply with the requirements of a planning permission or planning conditions.

To avoid a breach, find out if planning permission is required for any development you are proposing by reading our pre-planning advice.

Reporting a planning breach

We monitor planning permissions and have officers out in the Broads but we cannot see everything. To report a breach you can download the enforcement registration form (Word doc 37kb), or contact us directly with full details including site address, what works have been undertaken and when it was done it. Please also give your own name, address and telephone number. These details will remain confidential. Anonymous complaints will not usually be processed.

We act in line with Government guidelines to ensure a fair and transparent process. For information on how any action is taken read about our compliance process. We have also adopted an Compliance and Enforcement Plan which details how we deal with breaches of planning control.