The Planning (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 2003

Time limits on enforcement action

6.—(1) At the beginning of Part VI of the principal Order (enforcement) there is inserted—

“Introductory

Expressions used in connection with enforcement

67A.— (1) For the purposes of this Order—

(a) carrying out development without the planning permission required; or

(b) failing to comply with any condition or limitation subject to which planning permission has been granted,

constitutes a breach of planning control.

(2) For the purposes of this Order—

(a) the issue of an enforcement notice; or

(b) the service of a breach of condition notice,

constitutes taking enforcement action.

Time limits

67B.— (1) Where there has been a breach of planning control consisting in the carrying out without planning permission of building, engineering, mining or other operations in, on, over or under land, no enforcement action may be taken after the end of the period of 4 years beginning with the date on which the operations were substantially completed.

(2) Where there has been a breach of planning control consisting in the change of use of any building to use as a single dwelling-house, no enforcement action may be taken after the end of the period of 4 years beginning with the date of the breach.

(3) In the case of any other breach of planning control, no enforcement action may be taken after the end of the period of 10 years beginning with the date of the breach.

(4) The preceding paragraphs do not prevent—

(a) the service of a breach of condition notice in respect of any breach of planning control if an enforcement notice in respect of the breach is in effect; or

(b) taking further enforcement action in respect of any breach of planning control if, during the period of 4 years ending with that action being taken, the Department has taken or purported to take enforcement action in respect of that breach.”.

(2) If, in the case of any breach of planning control, the time for issuing an enforcement notice has expired before the coming into operation of this Article, by virtue of Article 68(4)(b) of the principal Order (as originally enacted), nothing in this Article enables any enforcement action to be taken in respect of the breach.