Enforcement Local Plan

As a council, we place great importance on protecting the Winchester district’s communities, heritage and natural environment from unauthorised development and the harm it causes.  An effective planning enforcement service is vital to maintaining the integrity of the planning system and protecting our district.  As part of our commitment to the delivery of an efficient and effective planning enforcement regime, we have prepared this revised version of our Local Enforcement Plan (LEP) in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).  The Local Enforcement Plan was last updated in July 2020 and we’re now seeking your views on the revised plan.  

The plan sets out our approach to planning enforcement. It explains how alleged cases of unauthorised development and/or breaches of planning control will be investigated; the basis on which decisions may be made; and our approach to pro-active monitoring.  

Our Enforcement Team have engaged with local communities on the plan’s contents by conducting Parish workshops in October 2023 and December 2024 led by Cllr Jackie Porter, our Cabinet Member for Place and the Local Plan. These workshops saw Parish representatives contribute to analysing the effectiveness of the July 2020 LEP and helping to ensure better understanding and communication about the service. The revised document that we’re asking for your feedback on has been redrafted to address the issues raised and better reflect the preferred approach as set out at the workshops.  

Cllr Jackie Porter said: “Investing in planning enforcement has been a priority for Winchester City Council and we are committed to the protection and enhancement of the natural and built environments at all stages of the planning process. Compliance with, and respect for that process are both essential and expected, and we will not condone wilful breaches of planning control. This sends a strong message to developers that we take a robust approach to breaches of any planning regulations and especially when they relate to the protection of our natural environment. Our focus is also to improve community engagement and transparency in the service and work more closely with our Parish Councils.”  

The Town and Country Planning Act 1990 provides the main legislature for dealing with breaches of planning control, with policy guidance provided in the National Planning Practice Guidance (NPPG) “Enforcement and post-permission matters: Responding to suspected breaches of planning control” (March 2014 last updated August 2024).  

The NPPG (at para 006) explains that it is important to prepare and adopt a local enforcement plan because it:  

• allows engagement in the process of defining objectives and priorities which are tailored to local circumstances;  

• sets out the priorities for enforcement action, which will inform decisions about when to take enforcement action;  

• provides greater transparency and accountability about how the local planning authority will decide if it is expedient to exercise its discretionary powers;   

• provides greater certainty for all parties engaged in the development process.  

The proposed Local Enforcement Plan is open to public consultation for six weeks from 5th February 2025. You’re invited to comment upon the draft plan by completing this survey. 

After the consultation period, we will consider all the comments we receive and amend the Local Enforcement Plan as appropriate. Once finalised, the new plan will replace the current LEP and will form the basis on which we will deal with enforcement enquiries and breaches of planning control.