Appeals

You have a right to appeal to the Planning Inspectorate if your planning application is unsuccessful.

You may also appeal if permission has been granted subject to certain conditions which you find unacceptable or if we fail to determine the application within the statutory period.

Appeals can be lodged against decisions made under planning legislation including enforcement notices but there is no right of appeal against a stop notice or a temporary stop notice.

To lodge an appeal please visit the Planning Inspectorate website which manages all appeal applications.

What happens when I appeal?

Once an appeal is lodged it will usually be considered and decided by an inspector acting for the Secretary of State. The Planning Inspectorate will consider the decision made and decide whether planning permission should or should not have been granted. The Planning Inspectorate can only look at planning matters and will not consider procedural issues.

Before reaching a decision the inspector will usually visit the site and may hold a hearing or inquiry as well, depending on the complexity of the case and the procedure adopted for the appeal. In a limited number of cases, the inspector will write a report and the decision will be taken by the Secretary of State.

For further details on the appeals process please visit the Planning Inspectorate appeals guidance page.

Enforcement notice appeals

Appeals against enforcement notices may be made on a number of grounds relating to the issuing of the notice. These include the steps which need to be taken to comply, the period for compliance and the assertion that planning permission should be granted.

You can find out more about enforcement on our compliance page or via the Planning Inspectorate Enforcement Appeal page.