Appeal a householder planning decision

Printable version

1. Overview

Your local planning authority (LPA) makes decisions about householder planning applications.

You can appeal a householder planning decision if you were refused permission for reasons that you think go against the LPA’s development plan or planning policy. You can usually find these on their website.

Householder planning applications cover small projects like extensions, conservatories or loft conversions.

Use the appeal a full planning decision service to appeal any of the following:

  • decisions made about bigger projects, like changing the use of a building or doing major structural work
  • planning permission conditions for any type of project

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.

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, you can appeal for up to 12 weeks from the date on the decision letter you got from your local planning authority (LPA).

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

Preparing your documents

You can upload 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 garden room in your garden. You do not have to tell anybody else, because you own the whole house and garden.

Example 2:

Your appeal is about extending a house that you own as a leasehold. You’d need to tell the freeholder about your appeal.

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

No-one can comment on a householder planning appeal.

The local planning authority (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.

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.