Planning Contravention Notices Explained
A Planning Contravention Notice (PCN) is a formal request for information from the council, used while it investigates a suspected breach of planning control. It does not itself mean formal enforcement action has been taken.
By John Langdown · Reviewed 2026-08-18 · 4 min read
A PCN is an information-gathering tool. The council uses it to ask specific questions, about who's responsible for land or a building, what's been done, and when, as part of deciding whether, and how, to take further action.
Response deadline
21 days from the date the notice was served.
Failing to respond within 21 days is a criminal offence, punishable by a fine of up to £1,000. Knowingly or recklessly giving false or misleading information is a separate, more serious offence with an uncapped fine.
What to do
- Read exactly what has been requested. Answer only what is being asked.
- Check the deadline shown on your notice.
- Consider the implications of your response before sending it.
- Get advice if anything is unclear, especially about what's actually happened on the land.
What happens next
After you respond, the council will decide whether further investigation or formal action is warranted. A PCN response that is accurate, complete and appropriately scoped is often what closes an investigation without anything further happening.
Section 171D(1), Town and Country Planning Act 1990. checkedAt: 2026-08-18.
This guide is general information, not advice on your specific case.
Need advice on this? Planning Contravention NoticeExperience from the other side of enforcement
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.
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