Fraud within Planning Enforcement may include:
- False or misleading statements in planning applications.
- Submission of fraudulent supporting evidence documents.
- Undue influence or collusion between developers and officials - conflict of interest/bribery and corruption.
- Manipulation of enforcement actions for personal or third-party gain.
- Inconsistent/selective enforcement.
The LPA take many steps to counter any risks of fraud, these include but are not limited to:
- All our staff receive specific fraud risk training;
- All Officers are bound by the corporations Code of Conduct;
- All Officers declare whether they hold any interest (both pecuniary and non-pecuniary) in cases assigned to them, if an Officer declares an interest the case is reallocated;
- Carry out rigorous assessments of all information submitted in relation to a planning enforcement investigation;
- All decisions made are documented through evidence-based processes;
- All decisions are signed off by a senior officer.