New Government figures show that the Lake District planners took the most enforcement action over illegal developments than any other national park.
Out of 81 planning enforcement notices served in England’s national parks between April 2022 and March 2023, the Lake District authority served 35 of them.
It is the second year running that the authority has topped the Government league table.
Developments recently highlighted as part of the Lake District’s ongoing enforcement action include new dwellings, holiday lets, breaches of local occupancy conditions, car parks, replacement windows, beer gardens, marquees, fences, hardstandings, timber decking structures, shepherd’s huts, and even the use of land for the taking off and landing of aircraft.
Andrew Smith, the Lake District National Park Authority’s head of development management, said: “The recent Government figures reflect the hard work of our enforcement team who, where necessary, will take firm formal action against unlawful development in the national park.
“Breaching planning control can have serious consequences, and some landowners are finding this out to their cost.
“Undoing unlawful work to comply with an enforcement notice can be expensive, for example demolishing unlawful buildings. Failing to comply with an enforcement notice meanwhile carries significant penalties, and our recent prosecutions have shown the courts willing to issue significant fines and criminal records.
“We have a duty planner available each working day and we’d advise people to make contact to discuss their plans in advance to avoid it getting to an enforcement situation.”
