Planning breaches and enforcement

Report a breach of planning control

Before you report a breach of planning control, you should:

• check the Public Access Portal to see if there has been an application for planning consent at the location
• visit the Planning Portal website to see if the work can be carried out under permitted development rights

If you’re still concerned that work may have been carried out without planning consent, you can report it online

If you report a breach of planning control, you consent for the information you supply to be shared with other service areas of Swale Borough Council and other relevant professional or public sectors, including Kent County Council (KCC) and Kent Police.

Data protection

Under the Data Protection Act 2018, the name, address and any other contact details of the person reporting a breach or planning control will not be disclosed.

The only exception to this disclosure is if the council was to decide it was appropriate to take formal enforcement action and you had been asked to collect evidence to support your report.

In the case where we've asked you to provide evidence, you may be asked to give that evidence at any appeal against the enforcement notice, including a hearing or public inquiry.

If you need to give evidence, we'll ask if you're prepared to. If you're not prepared to do this it is likely that this will set back any appropriate formal action.

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, we have to make available certain information to the public, including information about complaints, however if a request is made under this legislation for the identity of the complainant or for information which may identify the complainant you will be contacted for your permission to disclose your details. If you refuse to disclose your details then the request for personal information will be denied. Please be aware that in exceptional circumstances, the information may be required to be disclosed by law.

What happens next

If we confirm that work has taken place without appropriate planning consent, we may issue an enforcement notice.