§ Mr. Colin Shepherdasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to require planning authorities to execute within a specified period any enforcement order confirmed by one of his Department's inspectors in relation to the demolition of a building or extension erected without planning permission; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. TraceyWhen an enforcement notice is upheld on appeal, the period for compliance specified in the notice begins to run immediately. If any step required by the notice has not been taken by the end of that period, the person responsible for taking it can be prosecuted under section 89(1) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971; and, in addition, section 91(1) of the 1971 Act enables the local planning authority to take the required steps, and to recover from the landowner any expenses the authority have reasonably incurred. The local planning authority is well placed to decide how and when to use these powers.