Council accused of failing to enforce planning conditions

A report from campaign group Better Homes Enfield claims 90% of small developments it looked into had “failed to fully comply”, reports Joe Ives, Local Democracy Reporter

A construction site in Enfield Town (credit Better Homes Enfield)

Enfield Council “appears to be asleep at the wheel” in enforcing its own planning conditions, a local housing campaign group has claimed.

The comments came in a report from Better Homes Enfield, published last month, which detailed the findings of a recent investigation it had carried out.

The group claimed that more than 90% of “small site” housing developments it looked into had “failed to fully comply with the conditions of their planning approvals”.

The small sites study investigated 34 developments in the borough, raising “serious questions” about the council’s oversight of development projects.

In response, a council spokesperson has said planning enforcement “remains a priority” and that it “will not hesitate to take enforcement action where there is clear evidence of harm”.

But Better Homes Enfield’s probe uncovered numerous issues, including developers failing to meet conditions aimed at protecting the local environment as well as “design features and parking controls intended to reduce negative impacts on neighbouring properties”.

The group also claimed it had found evidence of developers ignoring council policies on construction requirements as well as safeguards designed to prevent flooding.

The local housing campaign said failings like this mean that “developers may benefit financially while residents, neighbours and the wider community bear the consequences”.

They argued that the research “raises serious questions” about the local authority’s enforcement of its own planning conditions, adding: “If developers can disregard planning conditions without facing consequences, what incentive do they have to comply?”

Questioning the strength of the council’s planning enforcement, the group noted that “many of the failures identified were easy to spot”.

They said the study was conducted on “randomly selected streets within approximately 1,200 metres of Enfield Civic Centre”.

Better Homes Enfield argued that the findings show “that far more attention is needed to ensure that what is promised when planning permission is granted is actually delivered”, adding: “As things stand, the council appears to be asleep at the wheel.”

Responding to the investigation, a spokesperson for the local authority said: “The council is committed to ensuring development in Enfield is safe, sustainable and appropriate, and takes potential breaches of planning control seriously.

“Planning enforcement is a proportionate process. It is not a statutory function, but it remains a priority for the council.

“We investigate reported breaches of planning conditions and will not hesitate to take enforcement action where there is clear evidence of harm to the community or the environment.”

Explaining the methodology of their research, Better Homes Enfield said that its site inspections were “limited to features visible from publicly accessible areas”.

The council’s spokesperson queried the strength of the investigation, given these limitations, and said the group had not directly reported the alleged breaches to the local authority.

“However, if concerns are raised through our reporting process, we will investigate them, in line with our usual procedures,” the spokesperson added.

Defending the research, Matt Burn from Better Homes Enfield said: “Our investigation used a robust methodology. We examined the council’s own documentation and were frequently able to identify planning breaches.

“Site visits were then used to confirm other breaches. This is what the council itself should be doing.

“We are confident in our conclusions. Rather than questioning our investigation, the council should be asking why so many developments have not delivered what was agreed, and what it intends to do about it.”

Local news needs your support

We are proud that we were at the forefront of reporting on the recent local elections. We can’t do this without the support of our readers.

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.

ACT NOW!

Monthly direct debit

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.