A NEW system for members of the public to report neighbours they suspect of flouting planning rules is to be introduced.

Monmouthshire County Council is updating its systems to make it easier for people to report works, such as garden sheds or patio extensions they suspect lack the required planning permission, or when it appears developments may not have been carried out in accordance with approved plans.

The council’s head of planning, Andrew Jones, said the planning department has worked with the council’s digital team on developing the online system.

“Members of the public, if they wish to make enforcement reports, can come to us and it will be easier to report and provide more information,” Mr Jones told the council’s performance and scrutiny committee.

He said at present it is a “big challenge” as it can take several exchanges between officers and members of the public to get all the required information for enforcement action.

“Sometimes it is a single email and it will not say what it is or even where it is or who is involved,” said Mr Jones.

“We will make it easier for members of the public, yourselves and town and community councils to give us the key information.”

Reports will also be triaged into a high, medium and lower priority with timescales and targets set said Mr Jones who was presenting the planning service’s annual report for 2025/26 to the committee.

That showed the number of enforcement cases received increased, by eight on the previous year, to 268 and the council issued six enforcement notices.

The percentage of enforcement cases investigated in 84 days was 81 per cent which is rated ‘good’ under the Welsh Government’s standards.

Time taken to take positive enforcement action increased to 191 days which was rated ‘fair’, but still better than the Welsh average in 2025/26 of 275 days.

The report said the increase was “primarily because we closed a small number of long-standing, complex cases which inflated the average figure”.

Mr Jones said the Welsh Government also approves the use of enforcement warning notices which instruct someone to apply for planning permission as a “quick win” and is recorded as a “positive action”.

He said in future the council’s planning committee will be provided with quarterly updates on enforcement action to “improve accountability and transparency” and said it is acknowledged enforcement “can become very legalistic and take a significant amount of time”.

Training will also be provided to officers in November this year on the Police and Criminal Evidence Act to support their use of enforcement powers when prosecutions are required.

Find out about planning applications that affect you by visiting the Public Notice Portal.

During 2025/26 the council successfully defended its enforcement actions in all five appeals made.