My second question at yesterday’s (20th June) MD meeting, ‘Can the council explain how or why a derelict extension built decades ago without planning permission, adjacent to a pensioners house (location provided) has been permitted to stand and what can the council do to find a satisfactory solution for this constituent?

Here is report issued by: Ms V Cooke, Acting Senior Executive Officer, Planning Section : In general, if the council becomes aware of unauthorised development or if alleged unauthorised development is brought to the attention of the council, the council will investigate the matter. If it is considered that unauthorised development has taken place, the developer will be asked to regularise the matter within a specified period of time. If the request is not complied with, the council will refer the file to our solicitors. Where the case is brought to court and the court requires the owner to regularise the matter, this can mean reversing any works done that are the subject of the enforcement process but excluding any element which is statute barred. If the unauthorised development occurred more than seven years prior to its coming to the attention of the council, a case will not succeed at court as it would be deemed to be statute bared even though the development would continue to be deemed unauthorised.