Chapter 4: Grant and Implementation of Planning Permission Chapter 5: Enforcement of Planning Controls Section 115: Time limits for enforcement Background
Section 171B(1) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 imposes a four year time limit on local planning authorities taking enforcement action against unauthorised development consisting of building, engineering, mining or other operations.
	Section 171B(2) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 imposes a four year time limit on local planning authorities taking enforcement action against unauthorised development consisting of a change of use of any building to use as a single dwelling house.
	This section amends section 171B(1) and (2) to extend the time period in which local planning authorities can take enforcement action against unauthorised developments in England from four years to ten years. This brings the period for bringing enforcement action for the breaches specified in section 171B(1) and (2) in line with section 171B(3), which specifies that enforcement action in respect of other breaches of planning control have a ten year time limit in which to begin taking enforcement action.
	The section maintains the current time limits for Wales.