Council warns of potential failure to enforce older planning breaches

A local authority has issued a caution that certain violations of planning regulations might not be enforceable due to a delay in taking action. During a scrutiny meeting, it was disclosed that Dorset Council is managing 170 cases, each dating back at least four years, which are subject to a “risk of immunity”. The committee was informed that eighty of these cases originated before the authority’s establishment in 2019. Anna Lee, a service manager, stated that her team would concentrate on these historical cases throughout the upcoming year. The place and resources scrutiny committee learned that the council’s planning enforcement officers, a team equivalent to 12 full-time positions, were currently handling 900 cases. Ms Lee informed councillors, stating: “There is a risk of immunity within those cases. That won’t apply to every case.” She explained that immunity periods for planning enforcement are not uniform, differing based on the type of violation, and some breaches do not have an immunity period at all. However, she acknowledged an inherent risk associated with cases exceeding four years in age. Ms Lee also mentioned that she had sought additional funding to address the accumulated backlog. Furthermore, Ms Lee reported two successful prosecutions since 2021, clarifying that legal action is pursued only as a final option. Councillor Shane Bartlett, who oversees planning, commented: “The current overall caseload for the team is too high and it’s important that these backlog cases are reviewed to reduce any risk of immunity.” Councillor David Tooke, chairman of the council’s eastern area planning committee, indicated that a common perception exists that the council fails to enforce regulations. He stated: “It is important that we look at enforcement and try and get some confidence back in the general public.” He continued, quoting public sentiment: “I constantly get people saying: ‘There’s no point to enforcement because all you do is go along with whatever they’ve done.'” You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.