Case Service

Enforcement Case Service

Representing your Council's interests

The experienced and specialised team at Ivy Legal can carry out the complete lifecycle of planning enforcement services on behalf of local authorities; from investigations, drafting reports, issuing notices and prosecutions, to helping the local authority to arrange direct action.

We regularly provide advice to LPAs on how to progress difficult enforcement cases and give a clear plan on how to tackle tricky breach/es. We can assist with implementation of the plan as much or as little as required; we collaborate well with LPA teams.

Lawful Development Certificates and assessing lawfulness of breaches (without an application) is an area in which we have a great deal of experience and expertise. We approach the evidence forensically and produce reports that are reliable evidentially and are legally sound.

One of the most important aspects of our service offering is defending appeals. We assist with writing appeal statements (for Written Representations appeals) or act as planning witness and/or legal advocate at Public Inquiries and Informal Hearings.

Different local authorities have different resource capacity and constraints. Our flexible service adapts to each Council's requirements. Some Councils will want us to take over a breach from start of investigation to resolution of the breach, where others will only need our services for part of the process, such as a prosecution.

We specialise in problem cases and make the enforcement process run as smoothly as possible

Where appropriate we encourage and facilitate an early strategy to use the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA), to confiscate proceeds an offender has received as a consequence of his criminal activity. We also strongly encourage the use of Direct action in appropriate cases to rectify a planning breach.

We give practical advice to local authorities on the most appropriate and effective action for planning enforcement breaches. This may include working on a strategy to deal with a planning enforcement backlog, or advise on a strategy to confiscate an offender's proceeds obtained from his criminal conduct. We also undertake projects to redesign a Council's enforcement service.

If you would like any further information about how Ivy Legal can help with planning enforcement services, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
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