Report a planning breach
Building work that does not have the right permission is called a planning breach.
A breach is also work that does not follow conditions that were set when planning permission was granted.
You can report a planning breach if someone is:
- building an extension or making changes without planning permission, including putting up outbuildings or fences
- not following approved planning permission
- changing the use of a property or land without planning permission
- working on trees without planning permission
- working on a listed building without consent
- putting up adverts without consent
- bringing waste onto land, storing and sorting waste (excluding fly-tipping), or tipping waste above approved levels
What you cannot report
These are not planning breaches:
- neighbour disputes
- issues with traffic or roads
- breaches of building regulations
We cannot take action against work which is not classed as development, including:
- clearing land of undergrowth, bushes and trees as long as they aren't subject to a tree preservation order and are not within a conservation area, or protected by a planning condition
- advertisements displayed in accordance with the advertisement regulations
- operating a business from home on a low key basis
Seek legal advice from a solicitor or Citizens Advice for private matters such as:
- boundary or ownership disputes
- covenants (an agreement to do something, or not to do something)
- someone building on or over your land
- fences built on your land
- builders working on an adjacent property putting materials or scaffolding on your land
Unsafe building sites or health and safety concerns
Report general site safety concerns to The Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Report fatal and major injuries to their Incident Contact Centre on 0345 300 9923 (Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm).
Unacceptable work by statutory undertakers
Report unacceptable work by statutory undertakers (for example gas, electrical and telecommunications companies) to the company doing the work.
Commercial vehicles parked on-street in residential areas
If a commercial vehicle is blocking a road, contact the Thames Valley Police on 101.
Noise from construction and building
Report noise from construction and building to our Environmental Health Team on 01494 461 000.
Fire and contaminated land
Report fire and contaminated land to our Environmental Health Team on 01494 461 000.
Issues on the highway
The Buckinghamshire Highways team are responsible for:
- works to vehicles on the highway, including the footpath
- the sale of vehicles from the highway
- vehicles parked in resident permit holder spots
- vehicles parked on double yellow lines within the special parking area of High Wycombe
- encroachment onto the highway, public footpath or bridleway
Vehicles parked blocking a dropped kerb should be reported to the police.
For more information see Parking, roads and transport.
After you've reported a breach
When we receive your enquiry, we will:
- let you know that we’ve received it within 4 working days
- look into the alleged breach, and we may ask you for more information or any proof that you have
- take action where appropriate if it is a breach of planning control.
If there is no breach of planning control, we will explain the reasons why.
Formal action
We'll start formal action when negotiations to resolve a complaint have failed. We'll then consider serving legal notices requiring the breach of planning control to be resolved.
If the owner does not comply with legal notices we serve, we can take court action. This could result in a significant fine. In most cases, there is a right of appeal against the legal notices that we serve.
Further information
View the Planning Enforcement and Monitoring Plan for more information about our Planning enforcement team.