The Planners Are Coming - Planning Police

Series looking at building planning processes. It's not just residential buildings that come under Planning Department control. Enforcement Officer John Ayres is called to an industrial site where a wood recycling operation has sprung up without warning. Local workers are complaining that the dust it produces is a health hazard and they're worried that the huge piles of wood and chippings could spontaneously combust. While the site operators and the local council argue over whether it's operating legally, a mysterious fire suddenly breaks out. Wood piles of a different kind come under scrutiny when Tree Officer Anne Currell is alerted to an Atlantic Cedar that has been savagely attacked by a chainsaw-wielding man. The tree is protected by a Tree Preservation Order and if Anne can track down the culprit, they could be facing a fine of up to 20,000 pounds. Vigilant neighbours complain about a house that has simply disappeared. First-time developer Jeremy Morris might have got permission to convert a semi-detached house into flats, but somehow the entire house has been demolished and he has no permission to rebuild. If the Planning Committee refuses his application, his career as a developer may come to an end.