How Can I Help?
The assistance of the public is often crucial to the success of
planning enforcement action by us. Due to the amount of activity
relating to building going on in the Ashford area, both authorised
and unauthorised, it would be impossible for us to identify all
possible breaches of planning control, without an army of
compliance officers and at great expense.
Enforcement work is undertaken following receipt of a written
complaint other than in exceptional circumstances such as the
imminent felling of a protected tree, or works to a listed
building.
During the enforcement process, information from residents can
often add to that held on official records. When alerting us to a
possible breach it is useful to have as much information as
possible included in the written complaint and, where appropriate,
photographs. This should include the date the activity started, the
exact location of the building or part of the building, the names,
addresses and telephone numbers of the owners, occupiers, builders
and agents. Details of the effect that the activity is having
on amenity eg noise, traffic, smells and overshadowing should
also be included. The more details provided, the quicker the
problem will be resolved.
In certain cases, the complainant will be asked to complete
"record of event" forms to help us to decide whether the use is
unauthorised. Such information can be invaluable and may help speed
up the process of determining whether there is a breach of planning
control.
If an appeal is lodged against an enforcement notice, we will
notify anyone who informed us of the matter and ask if they wish to
submit additional information or appear at an inquiry or hearing,
to support our case. The strength of local support can be crucial
to our success. Once an appeal has been lodged any subsequent
representations received become public documents which are
available for public inspection, including the appellant and their
legal representatives.
This webpage was updated on
10/24/2007