Planning enforcement

Before reporting a suspected breach of planning control, please check the following:

• does the work you want to report have planning permission? Visit our 'Find a planning application' portal to confirm
• does the work require planning permission? Visit our 'Do I need planning permission?' page to confirm
• has a breach of planning permission occurred?

Report a breach of planning control

Please note - investigations into suspected breaches of planning control can require monitoring to establish a pattern of use (eg. a premises being used as a commercial purposes). In such cases, we ask you to provide monitoring information to assist our investigation.

The council can only get involved in disputes over hedges after the complainant has exhausted all avenues to resolve the matter amicably.

• Read the Government's guide to resolving hedge disputes with neighbours

The council cannot negotiate or mediate between a complainant and a neighbour - we can only act as an independent adjudicator.

The council can issue a remedial notice ordering a hedge to be cut to a height which solves a dispute, but the council cannot order the removal of a hedge.

Failure to comply with a remedial notice carries a maximum fine of £1,000.

The council charges a fee of £300 for its hedge dispute service.

Contact

You can contact the council about high hedge disputes by calling (01788) 533717 or by emailing contact.centre@rugby.gov.uk

The council regularly publishes its enforcement and stop notice register, detailing the enforcement action currently being undertaken.

• View the enforcement register