Criminal offences

The following breaches of planning control represent criminal offences:

• carrying out unauthorised works to a listed building
• displaying unauthorised advertisements
• unauthorised works to protected trees

The carrying out of development without the necessary planning permission is not an offence. However, this action may have future implications or consequences. The Council's officers will therefore need to consider these implications and consequences in order to determine whether the Council should take enforcement action and, if so, what action to take.

Should an enforcement notice be served, and a subsequent breach of the notice is identified, this could also represent a criminal offence.