§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will issue policy guidance to local planning authorities about the taking of effective enforcement action against unauthorised development.
§ Sir George YoungDuring debates on the enforcement provisions of the Planning and Compensation Bill, we promised to give local planning authorities new policy guidance about effective use of their powers to enforce planning control when those provisions are enacted. My Department and the Welsh Office are today sending to consultees a draft planning policy guidance note—PPG —about enforcement.
The draft PPG emphasises the importance of using the new and improved enforcement powers provided by the Bill. It points out the significance of the greatly increased maximum summary penalties for enforcement offences. It suggests the criteria which planning authorities should bear in mind when considering whether to take formal enforcement action against a breach of planning control, and it discusses some of the circumstances in which difficult decisions about enforcement action will need to be taken, for example where the future of a small business could be put at risk by requiring it to re-locate or substantially change existing working practices.
We are consulting about the draft guidance now so that the finalised PPG can be ready for issue when the enforcement provisions in the Bill have been approved by Parliament and are brought into force, later this year. We shall welcome comments on it.