Establish what has actually been reported
Read the council's enquiry carefully. The issue might concern work without permission, a difference from the approved plans, a breach of condition or a use of the property. Planning enforcement investigates suspected breaches; the existence of a complaint is not the final conclusion. [2][3]
Ask which operation or use is being investigated and the relevant planning reference. Keep the question focused on the development rather than trying to establish who made the report. Ealing's reporting guidance explains its approach to confidentiality; you should not assume that the council will identify a complainant. [1]
Assemble the relevant records
Locate the decision notice, approved drawing revisions, condition approvals and any lawful development certificate. Compare them with what is being built. If there has been an on-site change, record it accurately rather than assuming it was covered by a conversation with the designer or contractor. [3]
Prepare a short chronology of the work and a clear drawing comparison. These are practical ways to make your response understandable, not replacements for any formal information the council requests.
Cooperate with the investigation
The authority may inspect the site, review records and ask for further information. Thurrock's published investigation process illustrates these fact-finding stages and the possible use of a planning contravention notice. A request for information should be answered accurately and within any applicable deadline. [2]
Confirm appointments through the council's official contact details. Keep copies of correspondence, photographs supplied and agreed next steps. Where a fact is uncertain, say what needs checking rather than offering an unsupported date or explanation.
If the work is authorised
Provide the documents that demonstrate the relevant permission or lawful position and explain how the work matches them. An application reference without the correct drawings may not answer a complaint about a specific window, roof or use. Ask the council to confirm its conclusion in writing when the investigation is resolved. [2][3]
If a problem is found
Discuss the appropriate remedy, which may involve correcting the work or seeking retrospective permission. An invitation to apply does not guarantee approval, and a pending application does not erase a notice already served. [3][4]
If an enforcement notice or stop notice arrives, obtain immediate advice on its effect and deadlines. Ordinary discussions with a case officer are not a substitute for the relevant formal response or appeal. [3][5]
Keep dealings with the neighbour separate and civil. The productive response is evidence and a lawful resolution, not pressure on the person suspected of complaining. Where formal notices or potential offences arise, seek planning legal advice.