Source · Select Committees · Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Recommendation 20
20
Accepted in Part
Paragraph: 81
It is clear that planning and risk management authorities must be empowered and resourced to...
Recommendation
It is clear that planning and risk management authorities must be empowered and resourced to effectively monitor and enforce the fulfilment of planning conditions in areas at risk of flooding. The Government should urgently review whether planning conditions to mitigate flood risk are being fulfilled. The Government should then bring forward proposals to address any limitations in the powers and resources available to appropriate authorities for the enforcement of planning conditions.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government states it believes existing enforcement powers for planning authorities are adequate and further powers are unnecessary. However, it commits to engaging with local authorities to understand how they use their existing powers, their available resources, and barriers to effective enforcement, and will consider further action based on these discussions.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
81
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government · verbatim extract
Accepted in Part
The Government’s planning policy is clear that local planning authorities are responsible for determining whether planning conditions are being fulfilled. Local planning authorities have a range of enforcement powers at their disposal and must determine which is the most appropriate in each case. These include the issuing of breach of condition notices, planning enforcement notices, stop notices and injunctions. The Government considers that these existing powers are adequate and does not consider any further powers are necessary. However, the Government is aware of concerns that local planning authorities are not using their enforcement powers effectively or are under-resourced to do so. The Government will therefore be engaging with local authorities to better understand how they are using their existing powers, what resources they have available to them and what the barriers are to using their enforcement powers effectively. The Government will consider whether any further action is needed following these discussions.
Read the full response on Parliament ↗