Agenda item

The report recommends that the Schedule of Compliance Monitoring Visits in Annex 1 and the Schedule of Enforcement Cases in Annex 2 be noted.

The Committee received a report providing a summary of the work undertaken by the County’s planning monitoring and enforcement team. It gave updates on the schedule of compliance monitoring visits for the period 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 and on the progress of planning enforcement actions.

Neal Richmond, Senior Enforcement Officer, gave a presentation at the meeting and clarified the following in response to questions from Members regarding the work of the Monitoring and Enforcement Team. 

a)    The Monitoring and Enforcement Team were commended for the work they undertook, and the level of monitoring and enforcement of sites that they achieved.  This was especially so, given the number of facilities existing and taking into account the team’s limited resources.  Mr Richmond and Mr Periam advised that there had been rare cases of enforcement notices being appealed and costs being awarded against the County Council by the Planning Inspectorate.  There were many more instances of enforcement notices being upheld in the Council’s favour.

b)    Mr Richmond was asked whether the limited resources of the Monitoring and Enforcement Team could be used more effectively in terms of visits.  He replied that the schedule was reviewed annually and sometimes events led to more visits at a specific location.  There was still some catch up in the monitoring of sites following the Covid Lockdown period.

c)     Members were advised that the vast majority of monitoring visits by the Team were pre-announced.  A lot of the sites were well run and the County Council was keen that the sites’ representatives were available for the visits.

d)    It was confirmed that the Monitoring and Enforcement Team was unable to charge a fee for monitoring an unauthorised site which was not part of an existing facility.  The Team was also unable to charge a fee for the recycling sites that were monitored. 

e)    The Team could not steer or direct people towards providing recycling sites.  Any planning applications were considered on their own merits and were subject to planning policies.

f)      The Team had an awareness of when sites were required to be restored and a period of aftercare was required after the planning permission ended. 

RESOLVED: that the Schedule of Compliance Monitoring Visits and the Schedule of Enforcement Cases be noted.