Renfrewshire Council

What a planning breach is

Most development taking place in Scotland requires planning permission.

Sometimes, developers or homeowners do work without getting planning permission first, or they do work that is not covered by the planning permission they've received.

These cases are called planning breaches.

What happens if we find out about a planning breach

We will investigate potential planning breaches.

Our goal is to resolve the problem, not to punish the mistake. Outcomes might include:

• negotiating a solution with the developer
• the developer applying for retrospective planning permission
• formal action, such as an enforcement notice or a breach of condition notice.

We'll only take formal action in a small number of cases where we've determined the planning breach is significant and would unacceptably affect:

• public amenities, such as schools, parks, or other public buildings
• land or buildings of wider public interest that require special protections
• public safety.

How to report a suspected planning breach

If you want to tell us about a suspected planning breach, you can use our online form.

You'll need to tell us:

• your name (we do not accept anonymous reports, but your details will remain confidential)
• your contact details, so we can update you
• the address or location of the suspected planning breach
• how the suspected planning breach affects you or why it concerns you.

Report a suspected planning breach.

How to find out more

Read our enforcement charter [2MB] if you want to find out more about how the enforcement process works, what powers we're able to use, and what happens at each stage of this potentially lengthy process.

If you have any other questions, get in touch:

• email dc@renfrewshire.gov.uk.