Appeal a planning decision

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1. Overview

Your local planning authority (LPA) makes decisions on planning applications.

You can appeal a planning decision if any of the following apply:

  • you were refused planning permission for reasons that you think go against the LPA’s development plan or planning policy (you can usually find these on their website)
  • you were granted planning permission with conditions you object to - you’ll need to explain why you think they’re unnecessary, unenforceable, vague, unreasonable or irrelevant
  • the LPA has not given you a decision on your application and 8 weeks have passed since the date they told you they’d received it (or a different deadline you agreed with them has passed)

For major projects, you can only appeal if 13 weeks have passed. Examples of a major project include a development with 10 or more dwellings, or a building with floor space of more than 1,000 square metres.

Use the appeal a householder planning decision service if you want to appeal a refused application for a smaller project, like an extension, conservatory or loft conversion.

You can also appeal a listed building consent decision.

Who can appeal

You can appeal a decision for an application you made yourself, or appeal on behalf of someone else. You’ll be asked to provide the planning application number and decision date.

You can also comment on an appeal.

Applying for costs

You can apply for an ‘award of costs’ if you believe the LPA has cost you money by behaving unreasonably. For example if you think their behaviour has caused you to miss a deadline.

The LPA can also apply to get costs from you.

2. How long you have to appeal

If your application was refused, or granted with conditions, you can appeal for up to 6 months from the date on your local planning authority’s (LPA) decision letter.

If you have not received a decision, you can appeal for up to 6 months from the date your decision was due to arrive.

Enforcement notices

You’ll have less time to appeal if you received an enforcement notice in the last 2 years.

If you received the enforcement notice before your application was refused, you have 28 days from the date on your decision letter to appeal.

If the enforcement notice came after your application was refused, you need to appeal by whichever of these dates is sooner:

  • 28 days from the date you received the enforcement notice
  • 6 months from the date on your application decision letter

3. Make an appeal

If someone else owns land or property that’s included in your appeal, you must tell them before you start your appeal.

You should also make sure you have all the documents you need.

Make an appeal

Fees

There’s no fee for appealing.

Documents you need

Your appeal statement

You’ll need to create an appeal statement. This is a document that explains why you’re appealing.

It’s sometimes called a statement of case. Find out how to make a statement of case.

Copies

You’ll need to submit copies of:

  • your planning application form
  • the decision letter from the local planning authority (LPA), if you have one
  • all plans, drawings and documents you sent to the LPA in your application
  • the site plan for your appeal site
  • the ownership certificate document, if you submitted one separately as part of your application

If you’re requesting a hearing or public inquiry

You also need to create a draft statement of common ground. This is a document explaining the parts of your planning application that you believe the local planning department will not disagree with.

Preparing your documents

You can submit the documents as any of these file types, as long as they’re smaller than 15MB:

  • DOC or DOCX
  • JPG or JPEG
  • PDF
  • PNG
  • TIF or TIFF

Make sure all documents are fully readable without any redacted text.

If someone else owns land or property that’s involved in your appeal

You must tell them that you intend to appeal.

Example 1:

Your appeal is about building a house on a field you own. You do not have to tell anybody else, because you own the whole field.

Example 2:

Your appeal is about a decision that applies to a whole estate of houses. To appeal that decision, you’d have to tell other homeowners on the estate.

If you know who the owners are

Complete the form in annexe 2A or 2B of the planning appeals guidance and send it to them to tell them you’re appealing.

If you do not know who the owners are

You must try to find them.

To do this, you can:

To make a site notice, complete the form in annexe 2A or 2B of the planning appeals guidance and use it as the notice.

If you cannot find the owners

You must advertise your appeal, for example in a local newspaper.

Complete the form in annexe 2A or 2B of the planning appeals guidance and use it as the advertisement.

Get help using the online service

Contact the Planning Inspectorate’s customer support team if you need help using the online service.

They’ll aim to respond to emails within 5 working days.

Email: enquiries@planninginspectorate.gov.uk
Telephone: 0303 444 5000
Monday to Friday, 9am to 12pm (except public holidays)
Find out about call charges

4. Comment on an appeal

Anyone can comment on a planning appeal. Find the case on the appeals casework portal.

The deadline for comments is 5 weeks after the start date of the appeal, or 6 weeks after the date on the enforcement notice sent by the local planning authority (LPA).

The LPA must tell anyone who has commented on the original application (‘interested parties’) that there’s an appeal.

They have to do this within 5 working days of the appeal being started by the Planning Inspectorate.

Read the detailed guidance about taking part in an appeal.

5. After you appeal

The Planning Inspectorate will check your appeal to make sure it’s valid. They’ll tell you what happens next and how long your appeal may take.

The Planning Inspectorate will then consider your appeal. Check how long planning appeal decisions normally take.

Complain about how your appeal was handled

You can complain about how the Planning Inspectorate handled your appeal. There’s no time limit for complaints.

6. If you think the appeal decision is legally incorrect

You can challenge the decision in the High Court if you think the Planning Inspectorate made a legal mistake.

You have 6 weeks from the date of the decision to do this.

Find a lawyer to advise you if you’re unsure about this.