Watford Borough Council

We may seek to negotiate an acceptable outcome, or serve formal notices requiring the breach to be stopped or rectified.

Breaches of planning control can take a number of forms, including unauthorised changes of use of land or buildings, work being carried out without the benefit of planning permission and breaches of conditions attached to planning permissions.

When the council investigates a breach, an assessment is made to determine what action, if any, is necessary.

The council will usually attempt to remedy unauthorised breaches through negotiation, rather than immediate statutory action. This may involve the submission of a retrospective application.

In cases where the breach is serious and has a detrimental impact on the character or amenity of an area or building, the council can serve an enforcement notice. Failure to comply with these notices constitutes a criminal offence.

For information and guidance, please either read through our enforcement policy, a link to which is below - or call us on tel: 01923 278293 or 278294.