Keep a record of any time you speak to a planning or enforcement officer – ask for their name and note down key points from the conversation. You can also ask the officer to email you a record of any conversation that you have.
If you have any health conditions which mean that you need a proper site to access health care from, ask your doctor to write you a letter to confirm this.
If you have children who would benefit from having a proper site to get an education, get some evidence of this. If you child has a health condition or special educational needs, then it is worth getting evidence on this as well.
If in doubt on whether to buy some land or to carry out any works or indeed anything else planning-related, always get advice from a chartered town planner.
If you get planning permission, always build the site as shown on the plans. If you need to change it, you will need to submit an application to amend the plans.
Pay close attention to the conditions on a planning permission and make sure that any details are sent to the Local Planning Authority. This is particularly important if you have been given retrospective planning permission as the conditions can require that you leave the site if you don’t comply with them.