Planning enforcement

A breach of planning control occurs when:

• development takes place without the required planning permission, or
• a development is not carried out in line with approved plans or conditions

This is defined under Section 171A of the Town and Country Planning Act.

Examples of planning breaches

• building or altering a structure without planning permission
• changing the use of land or buildings without consent
• carrying out works to a listed building without listed building consent
• displaying unauthorised advertisements
• carrying out works to protected trees or hedgerows
• failing to comply with conditions attached to a planning approval
• breaching limits set out in the General Permitted Development Order
• land in poor condition that harms the visual amenity of the area

What we cannot investigate

Some issues fall outside the scope of planning enforcement. These include:

• neighbour disputes
• boundary issues
• deeds of covenant
• party wall matters

These are civil matters, and you should seek independent legal advice.

Report a breach of planning control

Before submitting a report, please check the planning history of the site using our Public Access Portal. This will help you confirm whether permission has already been granted or is under consideration.

Submit a Planning Enforcement Request

Planning enforcement notices

You can view all current and historic enforcement notices issued by us. You can search by:

• reference number
• address
• date

Search Enforcement Notices

Hartlepool Development Corporation (HDC)

If the site is within the Hartlepool Development Corporation area, please note that enforcement is handled by the HDC, not us.

To report a breach in these areas, contact:

Email: HDCplanning@teesvalley-ca.gov.uk
Phone: 07507 883266