Planning permission is required for most development that takes place in Scotland. A breach of planning control is where development has been carried out without the required planning permission, or the failure to comply with any condition or limitation subject to which planning permission has been granted.

Planning enforcement also covers some other matters that do not need planning permission including:

• Advertisements such as billboards and hoardings that are not consented under the Advertisement Regulations
• Carrying out work to trees that are protected by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO), are within a conservation area or protected by a planning condition
• Concerns relating to High Hedges Act 2013
• Works in Conservation Areas that don’t have consent
• Works to listed buildings that don’t have Listed Building Consent

A breach of planning control is not a criminal offence, and the purpose of planning enforcement is to resolve a problem rather than to punish a mistake.