bushbaby, which section of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 mentions ' engineering operations' (or anything like that) ? Must my quick scan of the Act on the Statute Law Database doesn't produce any such provisions. What head do such operations and, specifically, digging a big hole, fall under?
Vagrant , you may find a jobsworth from the local planning authority enquiring what you are doing.Section 171c of the Act enables nosey parkers from the authority to demand answers about what you are up to, just in case what you are doing is some sly development e.g digging foundations for a house or preparing the land to build an office block on it. And, of course, mining operations fall under the Act but since you aren't digging for that purpose you are in the clear.