How planning appeals work.
If a council refuses planning permission, grants it with conditions you object to, or does not decide in time, you can usually appeal. An inspector from the Planning Inspectorate then decides the application again, independently of the council.
What you can appeal
The applicant, or someone acting for them, can appeal against:
- a refusal of planning permission, listed building consent, advertisement consent or prior approval;
- conditions attached to a permission;
- non-determination, where the council has not decided the application within the time allowed;
- an enforcement notice, a refused lawful development certificate and some other notices.
Neighbours and other third parties have no right of appeal against a grant of planning permission. Their route is usually a judicial review in the High Court, which has strict time limits.
Time limits
Appeals received after the deadline are not accepted. For applications made on or after 1 April 2026 the limits are:
| Appeal | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Householder or minor commercial application refused | 12 weeks from the date of the decision notice |
| Householder or minor commercial: conditions, or not decided in time | 6 months from the decision notice, or from the end of the decision period |
| Advertisement consent | 8 weeks from the decision notice, or from the end of the decision period |
| Other planning applications, listed building consent and most other types | 6 months from the decision notice, or from the end of the decision period |
| Where an enforcement notice covers the same or very similar development | 28 days in specified circumstances |
| Enforcement notice | Must be received before the date the notice takes effect |
Source: Planning Inspectorate procedural guide, section 4, last updated 14 October 2026.
The three procedures
The Planning Inspectorate decides which procedure an appeal follows. The council states its preference in its questionnaire, and either side can ask for that choice to be reviewed.
Written representations
The inspector decides on the papers and a site visit. This is the most common route and, for applications made on or after 1 April 2026, the default (“part 1”).
Hearing
A round-table discussion led by the inspector, used where issues need to be explored in discussion but formal cross-examination is not needed.
Inquiry
A formal procedure with evidence given by witnesses and cross-examination, usually for large or complex schemes.
What changed in 2026
Under the part 1 written representations procedure for applications made on or after 1 April 2026:
- The inspector considers the application documents, the decision notice, the officer’s report and any committee minutes, the appeal form and the council’s questionnaire.
- Evidence the council did not see is not normally accepted. Limited exceptions include material changes such as new policy, a relevant court judgment or a relevant decision on another case.
- Comments made on the application are passed to the inspector; there is no new round of public comment at appeal stage.
- The council sends its questionnaire and documents within 5 working days of the start date.
- If you intend to rely on a planning obligation, a completed obligation must be submitted with the appeal.
- Requests to postpone an appeal or hold it in abeyance are generally refused.
- Anyone using AI to create or alter evidence must say so when submitting it.
A “part 2” timetable, with statements and final comments, applies to non-determination appeals, listed building consent appeals and appeals against discontinuance notices.
What this means: the application itself now carries the case. Researching how inspectors have decided similar proposals before you apply is more useful than ever, and a relevant earlier appeal decision remains one of the few things that can be raised later.
Costs
Each side normally pays its own costs. Either side can apply for an award of costs if the other has behaved unreasonably and that has caused unnecessary expense, for example a council refusing permission without good reason, or an appellant pursuing an appeal with no reasonable prospect of success.
After the decision
The inspector’s decision is final on the planning merits. It can only be challenged in the High Court on legal grounds, normally within 6 weeks of the decision under section 288 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. A decision quashed by the court is sent back to be decided again.
Read the decision letter in full: the main issues, the findings on each, the planning balance and the conditions. It will often be relevant to later applications on the same site or nearby. Why previous appeals matter.
Find decisions like yours
Search the archive for appeals on the same kind of proposal, the same issue or the same council, and see how inspectors decided them.
Search decisions →General information, not legal advice. Check the current guidance on GOV.UK before you appeal.