Unlawful developments are being left permanently in place across England because under-resourced councils are running out of time to act, a new report from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman reveals today.

‘Losing control: complaints about planning enforcement’, highlights how significant delay by councils is increasing and, in some cases, statutory time limits have passed before councils could act, leaving communities with no legal remedy and developments that breach planning rules standing indefinitely.

Planning enforcement investigations have become a much greater proportion of the Ombudsman's planning work, last year making up nearly half (47%) of all upheld planning and development cases (up from 26% in 2021-22).

The report provides many learning points for councils based on common issues the Ombudsman finds, including:

• Cases where enforcement action has drifted for years without resolution
• Poor communication between planning departments and legal teams causing missed deadlines
• Inadequate processes to manage staff turnover, leading to repeated work and lost evidence
• Councils losing the power to protect Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and enforce planning conditions

The report echoes findings from a Royal Town Planning Institute survey, which found 80% of planning enforcement officers said there were not enough staff to carry out the workload, 89% reported case backlogs, and 73% said their authority had struggled to recruit.

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, Mrs Amerdeep Clarke, said:

"If people lose faith that planning rules will be enforced, they stop raising concerns. We risk a two-tier system: those who follow the law play by the rules, while those who flout them face no real consequences.

"We recognise and welcome Government plans to improve the planning system and boost the nation's economy through increased development. But development without enforcement is a recipe for planning chaos. Without proper resourcing, public trust in the entire system will collapse.

"We also appreciate the immense pressure planning teams are under, and it's encouraging to see so many welcome our findings as evidence to support investment in their services. The case studies we've highlighted show that, with the right resources, teams can make significant improvements that benefit both staff and the communities they serve."

Simon Creer, Director of Communications and External Relations at the Royal Town Planning Institute, said: 

“Enforcement officers are the backbone of the planning system. But as this report shows, years of under-resourcing and challenges in recruitment have led to staff shortages and overwhelming workloads. RTPI research from 2022 into planning enforcement resourcing raised the alarm - unfortunately, this report suggests that there has been little improvement and that, as a result, in some places services are ‘struggling or already broken’.

“If we want to build at scale and meet the government’s ambitious housing targets, we’ll need to make sure there are sufficient enforcement officers in place to ensure the planning system can effectively support delivery and uphold policy standards.”

The report includes questions for councillors and heads of service to help scrutinise their local planning enforcement services and highlights constructive responses from authorities that have committed to recruiting additional staff and improving procedures.

El Defensor de la Infancia y Adolescencia de Andalucía, Jesús Maeztu, ha presentado hoy en Ronda el libro Crecer con derechos, una publicación impulsada por el Foro Profesional de la Infancia que divulga la Ley de Infancia y Adolescencia de Andalucía y promueve el desarrollo integral, el bienestar, la protección y la participación de los niños y las niñas.

El acto, celebrado en el CEP de Ronda, ha contado con la participación del autor, Leandro Castro, y de la ilustradora Isabel Conde, así como con miembros del Foro Profesional por la Infancia, y se ha desarrollado ante escolares del municipio, a quienes se dirige especialmente esta publicación.

Durante su intervención, el Defensor ha destacado la importancia de visibilizar los problemas que afectan a la infancia como primer paso para poder combatirlos, entre ellos el acoso escolar y los problemas de salud mental. “No podemos proteger aquello que no queremos ver. Escuchar a niños y niñas, reconocer lo que les preocupa y darles herramientas para defender sus derechos es una responsabilidad colectiva”, ha señalado.

Maeztu ha subrayado que conocer los derechos es esencial para poder exigir su cumplimiento y ha recordado que “Andalucía es mejor cuando los derechos se cumplen”. Asimismo, ha insistido en la necesidad de oír a la infancia y a la adolescencia, dar valor a su palabra y situar su interés superior en el centro de las decisiones públicas.

Por su parte, Ignacio Gómez de Terreros, del Foro Profesional por la Infancia, ha afirmado que “el Foro ha puesto su esfuerzo y nuestra alma en este libro, que queremos que sea una herramienta para que los niños y niñas conozcan y defiendan sus derechos, y también sus deberes”. Ha destacado que “faltaba un libro dirigido a la primera infancia que explicara de forma comprensible la Ley andaluza”, y ha añadido que “cuando os respetáis a vosotros mismos y a los demás, estáis defendiendo derechos”.

Crecer con derechos, protagonizado por la niña Andalucía, utiliza historias e ilustraciones para acercar la Ley de Infancia y Adolescencia de Andalucía a niñas y niños, abordando cuestiones como la protección frente a la violencia, la salud, la educación, la identidad o la participación. La obra pretende convertirse en un instrumento útil para que la infancia conozca sus derechos, sepa cómo ejercerlos y comprenda también sus responsabilidades en la convivencia.

The Ombudsman, MA Faton Selami, met with the Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of North Macedonia, H.E. Michalis Rokas, and with Deputy Ambassador Mr. Ben Napnau, at which, among other things, they discussed the challenges he faces at the beginning of his mandate, as well as the priorities in the work of the Institution. 

Namely, the Ombudsman emphasized the need to improve the legal framework of the institution, amendments and supplements to the Law on the Ombudsman, in two directions. One, ensuring full financial independence, and the second, independence of the professional service in accordance with the Paris Principles, to ensure status A - National Institution for Human Rights. 

The interlocutors agreed that these two things are necessary and that in the coming period they will work together to fulfill them, because, as the Ambassador emphasized, there is no. Michalis Rokas, ensuring the independence of the Ombudsman institution is part of the reform agenda of the Republic of North Macedonia in the process of European integration. 

In addition, the ambassador emphasized that the institution, given its importance for citizens, will continue to enjoy a high level of support from the European Union in all segments of its work.

On February 18, 2026, the Public Defender of Georgia, Levan Ioseliani, visited a small group home, a shelter for mothers and childres, and a youth shelter in the SOS Children's Village in Tbilisi.

The Public Defender viewed the infrastructural condition of the institutions, met with beneficiaries, administration and employees, received information about the aspects of service delivery and the challenges and needs relating to this process.

The Public Defender of Georgia emphasizes that it is necessary for the State to further strengthen a child-centered, safe, and development-oriented environment for children in state care, including those living in group homes, which requires holistic and continuous support. In addition, it is important to strengthen transitional support programmes for young people aged 18-21 who are leaving the state care system due to reaching adulthood, so that they can properly prepare for independent living and socio-economic integration.

In addition, it is crucial to develop shelter services for mothers and children, inter alia, to ensure long-term support for the biological families and to strengthen the independent living skills of beneficiaries.

The Public Defender continues to systematically supervise alternative care and family support services and develop recommendations in order to respond to the identified needs.

The People’s Advocate of Albania, Mr. Endrit Shabani, received in an official meeting the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Albania, Ms. Ingrid Macdonald.

This meeting comes after Mr. Shabani took office as President of the Organization of Mediterranean People’s Advocates (AOM).

During the conversation, attention was focused on the current human rights situation in Albania and the need for a coordinated commitment between local institutions and international actors. Mr. Shabani and Ms. Macdonald underlined that the protection of human rights and the consolidation of the rule of law remain the main pillars on which joint efforts should be based to accelerate Albania’s progress towards the European Union.

In this context, they discussed the importance of synchronizing the work of the People’s Advocate with UN agencies.

Ms. Macdonald praised the institution's new vision and reaffirmed the United Nations' support for initiatives aimed at strengthening democratic institutions and ensuring a more just and transparent society for all Albanian citizens.