THE COUNCIL is cracking down on forbidden building developments in Bracknell Forest, according to a new report.

Bracknell Forest Council’s (BFC) planning enforcement team has overseen a dramatic decrease in the number of suspected planning breaches in just over two years.

Figures from April-June 2016 show BFC was dealing with more than 250 planning cases, but the latest numbers indicate that the enforcement team was dealing with just under 100 cases at the end of December 2018.

The council’s approach for tackling potential planning breaches was unveiled in October 2015, and a report set out how BFC would confront developments carried out without consent in years to come.

It reads: “Most types of building works, changes of use of land or buildings, works to protected trees and advertisements require planning approval.

“If this sort of development takes place without the relevant approval, the works are defined as ‘a breach of planning control’ and enforcement action can be taken at the discretion of the council.”

It is not a criminal offence to carry out works without consent, except in cases where protected trees are chopped down, listed buildings are damaged or rules around advertising are broken.

The council has closed more planning breach cases in each year following the publishing of the report, and as a result, the number of open cases the enforcement team is handling is “below one hundred for the first time in memory”.

New officers joined the council’s enforcement team in March 2015 leading to a decline in the number of cases.

However, there was a surge in the number of planning breach cases up to April 2016 due to a build-up of older cases, 123 of which were over a year old.

According to another council report, older cases take longer to resolve because of a greater amount of work needed to complete the case.

But another new officer joined in June 2016 and since then the number of planning cases open has fallen by at least 60 per cent.

And now there are only 49 cases which are over a year old.

However, the report continued: “Whilst these figures show that for each of the past four financial years there has been a steady reduction in open cases there will come a point in the very near future that there may be no or significantly fewer further reductions in open cases.

“The team are fast arriving at the point where there is natural progression of all open cases with the team vigilantly ensuring that cases are taken further with formal notices served where appropriate without delay.”

Councillors are set to discuss the performance of the planning enforcement team on Tuesday, March 5.