SKDC Enforcement ENF24/0045

1. South Kesteven District Council has confirmed in correspondence that its legal advice on planning enforcement matters is not provided in-house but has refused to disclose the identity of the provider. I have established by my own research
that the provider is Legal Services Lincolnshire under a shared service arrangement.
The context for this enquiry is a Section 215 enforcement file relating to a property at 7 Chapel Lane, Barrowby, within a Conservation Area, adjacent to my own (South Kesteven reference ENF24/0045 / S24/2233).
The chronology of the matter as described to residents in correspondence from South Kesteven officers is as follows:
13 January 2026: Compliance deadline expired. Non-compliance confirmed.
28 January 2026: South Kesteven confirmed referral to legal.
26 February 2026: South Kesteven confirmed further instruction to legal.
12 March 2026: South Kesteven confirmed legal had returned bundle requirements.
9 April 2026: South Kesteven confirmed bundle still being prepared.
15 May 2026: South Kesteven confirmed file with a named legal officer; no update from legal.
4 June 2026: South Kesteven confirmed it had chased on 1 June; no further response received.
12 June 2026: South Kesteven confirmed the legal service is external but declined to provide operational turnaround information.
The matter has been described as "with legal" for twenty-three weeks. The site remains in breach.
I am writing because Legal Services Lincolnshire holds Lexcel accreditation, which includes standards on file review, case progression and management of overdue matters. I would be grateful to understand:
The standard service expectations that Legal Services Lincolnshire publishes or commits to in respect of response times on partner authority planning enforcement matters. The arrangements that exist where an enforcement file has been with Legal Services Lincolnshire
for an extended period without resolution - what case review or escalation processes are engaged.
Whether there is a published service specification or framework agreement governing the relationship with partner local authorities.
I am not asking for any information specific to the file or to South Kesteven's instructions. The chronology above is provided so that the questions can be considered in context, and so that you may, if you wish, verify the position against your own records.

“1 - The standard service expectations that Legal Services Lincolnshire publishes or commits to in respect of response times on partner authority planning enforcement matters.”
Not held – matters are considered on a case-by-case basis.
“2- The arrangements that exist where an enforcement file has been with Legal Services Lincolnshire for an extended period without resolution - what case review or escalation processes are engaged.”
Not held
“3 - Whether there is a published service specification or framework agreement governing the relationship with partner local authorities. “
Yes