Independent advice for homeowners, landowners, businesses and professionals across England.
Meet the people
John Langdown
Founder & Planning Enforcement Specialist
John has personally investigated over 1,000 planning enforcement cases while working for numerous Local Planning Authorities across England, covering residential extensions, changes of use, complex commercial sites and large-scale developments. That means we do not have to guess how a council will interpret evidence or decide whether to act. John has made that exact decision, from that exact seat, over a thousand times.
Eliza Morrissey
Director & Case Coordinator
Eliza coordinates case administration and keeps every case moving: maintaining detailed records, liaising with local planning authorities, monitoring progress, and managing correspondence and deadlines so nothing that matters gets missed.
We've already sat on the other side of those decisions.
1,000+
enforcement cases investigated.
Case experience spanning 8 local authority areas across England.
Why council-side experience matters
What enforcement officers actually look for
We know what evidence a council gathers, and why, because we used to gather it.
How an alleged breach gets assessed
We know how a council weighs a case before deciding whether to act, not just what the rules say.
What actually moves a case forward
We know which information and actions genuinely help, rather than guessing at what a council wants.
Why we exist
Planning enforcement can be hard to make sense of from the outside. Council correspondence is formal, deadlines can matter, and it isn't always obvious what's actually being asked or what your options are. PEA exists to make that process clearer, and to provide independent specialist advice from someone who has worked it from the other side.
How we approach a case
Clarity before complexity
We explain what's actually happening before we explain what to do about it. If something doesn't make sense, that's on us to fix, not you to work out.
Advice based on the facts
We look at the notice, the planning history and the site itself before forming a view, not a general assumption about how these cases usually go.
Independent perspective
We work for you, not the council. The advice reflects your position and your options, not anyone else's process.
Careful case management
Deadlines, correspondence and records are tracked properly, not informally, so nothing that matters gets missed.
Not sure where you stand?
Tell us what's happened and we'll help you understand your position.
Free initial conversation
To understand your situation and whether we can help.
We aim to respond within one working day
Every enquiry is treated in strictest confidence.