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After a refusal

A refusal is a decision, not a verdict.

You have six months to appeal a householder refusal and the Planning Inspectorate charges nothing to hear it. What it takes is a statement of case that answers the reasons for refusal, in order, against the policies the council actually cited.

Start an appealWhat it costs
Wren, for a written representations appeal
£799Wren, for a written representations appeal
Planning Inspectorate fee
£0Planning Inspectorate fee
To appeal a householder refusal
6 monthsTo appeal a householder refusal
Typical time to a decision
12 to 20 weeksTypical time to a decision

Why they succeed

Most refusals turn on two or three sentences.

A decision notice lists its reasons for refusal, and each one cites a policy. An appeal is not a second attempt at the application. It is an argument that the officer applied those specific policies wrongly, or weighed them wrongly, on this specific site.

That is a narrow, technical job, and it is one where a chartered planner reading the officer report line by line is worth more than any amount of new drawing. We draft from the decision notice, the officer report and the consultation responses, then a planner signs the statement in their own name.

The sequence

What an appeal actually involves.

Written representations is the route almost every householder and minor refusal takes. There is no hearing and no inquiry, which is why it costs nothing to lodge.

  1. 01

    We read the refusal

    The decision notice, the officer report and every consultation response on the file.

  2. 02

    We draft the statement

    Each reason for refusal answered in order, against the policy the council cited.

  3. 03

    A planner signs it

    In their own name, with their membership number, under their indemnity.

  4. 04

    We lodge and track it

    Submitted to the Planning Inspectorate and tracked to the decision.

The deadlines

Miss these and the right lapses.

They run from the date on the decision notice, not from the date you read it. This is the single most common way an appeal is lost before it starts.

See a specimen statement of case

Application refusedYou have
Householder6 months
Advertisement consent8 weeks
Most other applications6 months
Enforcement noticeBefore it takes effect
Listed building consent6 months

Asked and answered

What people ask after a refusal.

Should I appeal or reapply?
It depends on whether the reasons for refusal can be designed out. If they can, a fresh application is usually faster and free of charge within twelve months. If they turn on judgement rather than on a fixable defect, appeal. The appraisal will say which of the two your refusal looks like.
Does the Planning Inspectorate charge?
No. A written representations appeal costs nothing to lodge. Our fee is separate and fixed.
How long does it take?
12 to 20 weeks is typical for written representations. It is not fast, and anyone telling you otherwise is guessing.
What are my chances?
Roughly a third of planning appeals are allowed nationally. Yours depends entirely on the reasons given, which is why we read the officer report before quoting rather than after.

Send us the decision notice.

Draw the site and upload the refusal. We will read it and tell you whether it is worth appealing before you pay anything.

Start an appealOur published grant rate