Southampton City Council (20 010 563)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Enforcement 15-Feb-2021

Summary: Mr X complains about the Council’s decision to serve a planning notice on his land. We will not investigate this complaint because he has a right of appeal to a magistrate’s court.

Brentwood Borough Council (20 010 235)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Enforcement 15-Feb-2021

Summary: Mr X complains about unauthorised roadside advertising hoardings. We will not investigate this complaint because there is insufficient injustice caused to warrant investigation.

London Borough of Wandsworth (19 019 405)

Statement Upheld Enforcement 15-Feb-2021

Summary: The Ombudsman found fault on Mr D’s complaint about the way it dealt with his report of a neighbour building an extension higher than consent allowed. The Council took 4 months to correctly identify the full extent of the breach during which time it failed to provide satisfactory details about the measurements it took during its investigation. The agreed action remedies the injustice caused.

Waverley Borough Council (20 009 827)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Enforcement 15-Feb-2021

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of a planning matter related to a garage he built on his land. We cannot resolve the core dispute between Mr X and the Council, whether the garage complies with General Permitted Development Rights. It would be for the Planning Inspectorate to determine this, if the matter went to an appeal. Since we cannot decide this core issue, we cannot say the actions flowing from the Council’s position amount to fault. We will not consider the complaints about the Council’s complaint processes in isolation, as we cannot deal with the substantive issue giving rise to the complaint.

Cheshire West & Chester Council (20 001 331)

Statement Not upheld Enforcement 12-Feb-2021

Summary: Ms X complains the Council was at fault as it failed to take enforcement action to ensure compliance with planning conditions at the housing development where she lives. We have found no evidence of fault in the way the Council considered these matters.

Tewkesbury Borough Council (20 009 393)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Enforcement 08-Feb-2021

Summary: Mr X complains that the Council refuses to take planning enforcement action against a developer. We will not investigate this complaint because there is no evidence of fault by the Council and the matter is out of time.

Wyre Borough Council (20 008 283)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Enforcement 05-Feb-2021

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a gas pipe being installed in the area where the complainant lives. This is because we are unlikely to find fault by the Council and cannot yet say if the complainant has been caused any significant injustice.

Shropshire Council (20 006 101)

Statement Upheld Enforcement 04-Feb-2021

Summary: Mrs Z, a planning representative, complained the Council failed to take enforcement action against breaches of planning and building control by a developer. The Council was not at fault in how it handled the planning control matter. This is because it properly investigated the alleged breach and used its discretion to decide not to take formal enforcement action. However, the Council has acknowledged it did not investigate the alleged breach of building control. Nor did it respond to Mrs Z’s complaint on this matter. This is fault. To remedy this the Council agreed to apologise to Mrs Z and provide a response regarding this matter.

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council (20 009 549)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Enforcement 04-Feb-2021

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint, made on behalf of his daughter Miss X, about the Council’s decision not to enforce against an extension built by Miss X’s neighbour. There is not enough evidence of fault by the Council in how it reached its discretionary enforcement decision to warrant an investigation.

Wakefield City Council (20 007 892)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Enforcement 03-Feb-2021

Summary: Mr X complains about delays by the Council in a planning enforcement matter. We will not investigate this complaint because there is insufficient personal injustice to Mr X to warrant investigation.