Planning Enforcement: Lessons for Practice and Procedure

This paper is concerned with the role of planning enforcement. The theme is initially explored from a literature perspective examining the key developments in both the planning framework and enforcement legislation. The empirical investigation reports upon research conducted in Northern Ireland, drawing upon structured interviews with professional planners, assessing enforcement case material and investigating non-compliance with planning conditions. The results from these three strands of the research provide lessons for enforcement practice and procedure in the rest of the UK. A number of key problem areas are highlighted which should be addressed through consideration of alternative theoretical perspectives, a co-ordinated approach to enforcement practice, appropriate training programmes for personnel, and the enactment of innovative legislative mechanisms.