Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government is taking with local authorities to (a) reduce the number of retrospective planning applications caused by breaches of planning control and (b) encourage people to submit applications in advance of works commencing.

We are clear that unauthorised development is unacceptable and unfair to those who abide by the rules. Where people have made a genuine mistake, they are able to rectify the situation through the retrospective planning application process.

Local authorities have strong enforcement powers at their disposal in the event that development takes place without the appropriate planning permission.