Has Your Planning Application Been Refused?

We understand that a refused planning application can leave you feeling frustrated. A planning appeal is your one opportunity to completely overturn the Council's refusal and gain planning permission, irrespective of what the Council thinks should happen.

If you’re wondering how to win a planning appeal, it starts with expert advice, careful strategy, and presenting a strong case using language and insight that a senior planner, through us, offers.

Our senior planners are planning appeal experts. Working as senior planning officers within Councils, they have extensive and up-to-date knowledge of the planning system, giving your planning appeal the greatest chance of success.

The planning appeal process begins with a free review of your planning application, scrutinising the officer’s decision notice.

There may be weaknesses within the refusal or strengths in your application that need to be better highlighted. We shall examine your individual case and give an honest assessment of the potential of success at appeal and the costs.

How We’ll Help Drive Your Appeal Forward

STEP 1

Free Decision Notice Review

If your planning application has been refused, contact us for a free review of your application and decision notice.

STEP 2

Provide an Honest Assessment

We come back with a formal proposal on the best way forward and what the chances of success at appeal would be. Sometimes a different route would be better, such as a resubmission of an application. Always a fixed cost with no hidden extras.

STEP 3

Dedicated To Winning Your Case

If you choose to continue, we will move on to the planning appeal process, keeping you up to date throughout the process.

Our Planning Appeal Process

Our comprehensive planning appeal service covers every stage of the process with precision and expertise. From your initial enquiry to the final decision, we manage the full planning appeal procedure on your behalf.

Our experienced team will guide you through the planning appeal process, offering transparent advice and professional representation at each step. We pay close attention to every detail and take every opportunity to strengthen your case.

We offer:

Ongoing updates on your planning appeal.
All necessary liaisons with your Council and the Planning Inspectorate.
All necessary research, including Council and Government policies and other decisions which may be relevant to your case.
Preparation and submission of all documentation.
Presentation of your case, either by a full supporting statement or orally at a hearing or public enquiry if required. Using professional planning arguments, our work answers the type of questions the Planning Inspector may have, challenge the Council’s assumptions and set out in detail why their decision should be overturned.
We will always suggest the best type of appeal based on your situation.

FAQ’S

How to Appeal An Enforcement Notice

If you are issued with a Planning Enforcement Notice, you will be given; the details of the breach, the reason for the notice, the steps required to deal with the issue, and the timeline in which you must comply.
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Planning enforcement cases can range from relatively small domestic building matters to very large commercial building schemes with vast amounts of investment at stake.

It can be a very testing time, so it’s important to have the services of expert planning professionals on hand to help you deal with any difficulties. After all, if you fail to act on an Enforcement Notice or a Breach of Condition Notice, you could face a criminal conviction and a hefty fine.

How to Appeal Refused Planning Permission

First, you will need to get in touch with us (either via the form on our website, phone or email). We will identify the reason or reasons for refusal and evaluate if you have grounds for appeal.

If you choose to continue, we will then advise you on what type of appeal to use and assist you in submitting your case.

What are the Different Types of Planning Appeal?

There are a few variations of planning appeal, and the type of appeal we recommend will relate to the kind of planning application that was made - The most common being a written representation appeal. A not-often-known fact is that a planning appeal can also be made against any part of the conditions imposed on the planning permission.

● Written representations
● Hearings
● Public inquiries

What are Written Representations?

This is the fastest and often cheapest way to appeal a planning decision. The Planning Inspectorate (an independent Government body) looks at the submitted planning appeal and makes an independent decision outside of the Council's influence or pressure.

This method is suited to smaller-scale development such as house extensions, changes of use or appeals against planning conditions. This appeal procedure has been used as the ‘fast track’ householder appeal service since January 2008.

Cost awards are available for all written representation appeals.

What are Hearings?

Hearings take longer than written representation, but they allow all parties to present their case informally to an inspector, who leads a discussion on the appeal issues.

Hearings are suited to more complicated cases that require detailed discussion about the merits of the proposal.

Again, cost awards are possible for planning appeals dealt with by a hearing.

What are Public Inquiries?

The most formal method of planning appeal is by Public inquiry. These are used for larger, more complex cases and can take several months because the inspector hears evidence from witnesses, often cross-examined by other parties’ legal representatives.

Public inquiries are suited to more controversial cases where there has been a lot of public opposition.

Cost awards can be available for any appeal.

Planning Statements – Adding Weight To Your Appeal

The most important element of any planning appeal will be the Supporting Planning Statement. Our statements are never AI-generated or a template from past cases, but deal with the key issues of your case, addressing their relevant policies (both national & local) and setting out the planning grounds in favour of your proposal, whilst also addressing any tricky points that a case may present. This level of detail is often the area that wins us the appeal and sets us apart from other planning consultants.

How Long Does a Planning Appeal Take?

A written representation householder planning appeal typically can take up to 22 weeks. However, as the chart below shows, an appeal timeline will vary depending on the kind of planning appeal submitted. Hearings and public inquiries tend to take longer due to the need for in-depth discussions and additional evidence. Our team can help you understand the full planning appeal timeline from start to finish and work to keep the process moving efficiently.

S78 & Householder appeals

S78 planning appeals

Householder appeals

Written Reps

Hearings

Inquiries

Written Reps

Mean (weeks)

41*

(Median (weeks)

41*

How Much Does a Planning Appeal Cost?

There are no charges by the Planning Inspectorate to submit a planning appeal. Our fees are decided on a case-by-case basis and will be included in our free proposal. Planning appeal costs will depend on the type and complexity of the appeal, the volume of supporting material needed, and whether a hearing or public inquiry is required. We offer clear, competitive pricing with no hidden fees, so you have full visibility from the outset.

What Are My Chances of Success?

As every case is different, we will always give an honest view of the chances of success and suggest the best way forward. As we offer a unique partnership whereby Senior Town Planners who currently work within local Councils work on your case, we are able to anticipate common or uncommon reasons for refusal and tailor your appeal strategy accordingly.

Understanding how to win a planning appeal requires an in-depth knowledge of the planning appeal process, policy interpretation and persuasive presentation. Our transparent advice ensures you know where you stand from day one.

Why Is Planning Permission Refused?

Understanding why planning permission is rejected is key to building a strong case. Common reasons include design issues, overlooking policies, highway concerns, and failure to meet local development frameworks.

If your planning permission has been refused, our team can analyse the decision, identify weak points, and build a robust appeal.