BETTER PLANNING ENFORCEMENT MEANS A BETTER LOCAL ENVIRONMENT

development and protect the environment, announced planning minister

Keith Hill today.

England', the government has tabled an amendment to the Planning and

Compulsory Purchase Bill to enable local planning authorities (LPAs)

to issue a 'temporary stop notice' at the start of unauthorised

development, before an enforcement notice is served.

Mr Hill said:

'When someone starts damaging the local environment by breaking the

planning rules we want to ensure local authorities can act more

effectively. The temporary stop notice could be used across a wide

range of circumstances such as to stop the setting up a scrap yard or

haulage business without consent in the green belt.

'Communities must have confidence in the planning system, which will

only be the case if the rules are enforced. When we consulted on the

planning enforcement system the overwhelming response was 'we need to

be able to issue stop notices immediately.' So that's exactly what

we're doing.'

Over 200 respondents to the review supported the idea of giving LPAs

the opportunity to issue a stop notice immediately, without having

first had to serve an enforcement notice. The amendment will now be

debated in the House of Lords.

Notes

1. Responses were invited to the Review of the Planning Enforcement

System in England between October and December 2002. We hope to

announce our conclusions later in the year.

2. The amendment is due to be tabled to the Planning and Compulsory

Purchase Bill. The Bill, published on 4 December 2002, is currently

in the House of Lords at Report stage.