In such circumstances, a Local Planning Authority has an array of "weapons" at it's disposal that it can use against you. See "Action an LPA can take" below. You can also see below the penalties that can flow from you being convicted of a planning offence.
In all these cases our specialist Planning Law team can give you chapter and verse on planning law and on where you stand. We can guide you in your dealings with the Council, advise you on the options open to you and the best course of action, and, if need be, represent you in any proceedings that ensue.
All you have to do is click on "Please Contact Me Now” or call us on 0845 567 5000. We will happily speak to you free of charge to let you know where you stand and what we might be able to do to help you. For examples of our work in this area please see "People we have helped”, below.
In addition to their general powers outlined above, the Local Planning Authorities have additional powers in specific areas, such as where trees or listed buildings are involved. You can see separate sections on each of these below.
How we can help
We can advise and assist you on the powers of the investigating officials, which include the power to require you to give certain information in response to a notice served by the official, and the power to conduct tape and/or video recorded "interviews under caution" i.e. where answers to questions may be used in evidence against you in a subsequent prosecution.
We can arrange to be with you to advise you during the investigations and in particular we can be present at interviews under caution and can advise you before during and after such interviews on the best way to deal with them.
Having taken detailed instructions from you on the events giving rise to the investigation/prosecution, we can :
- Make representations on your behalf to the prosecuting authority before a decision has been made by them on whether or not to charge you, urging that there be no prosecution or that, if there is to be a prosecution, it should be for less serious rather than more serious offences.
- If you are prosecuted, arrange for you to be represented in court by one of our highly experienced specialist advocates or by a specialist barrister.
- Advise you on how you should plead to any charge you may face, i.e. guilty or not guilty.
- Advise you on whether it is to your advantage, where you have a choice, to be tried by the Magistrates' Court or the Crown Court.
- Where you decide to plead guilty, gather all the necessary evidence so that the best mitigation can be bought to the court to minimise the severity of the sentence you receive.
- Where you decide to plead not guilty, gather all the necessary evidence, instruct expert witnesses etc so that your chances of achieving a not guilty verdict at trial are maximised.
- Generally guide and support you through the whole investigation and the subsequent court proceedings.
In Planning law cases our Defence Team works alongside our Planning Law Team which deals with the whole range of Town and Country Planning Law work. Full details of that team can be seen in the Planning section of the website.
We will gladly talk any case or situation through with you, free of charge, and give you advice on where you stand and what your options are. If formal legal work is then needed, we have unrivalled expertise in this very technical area to help you.
As we say, we are always there for people and families who are in our PURPLE LEGAL scheme. We invite you to join PURPLE LEGAL now. By joining PURPLE LEGAL, you can have all your legal enquiries answered free of charge by simply booking a SolicitorSlot for a time and date that suits you. Alternatively if you wish to speak to us now, please click on "Please Contact Me Now” or call us on 0845 567 5000. We look forward to always being there for you.
