You have the right to appeal any planning refusal. Here's exactly how the process works, what it costs, and what actually improves your chances.
Before doing anything else, confirm your appeal deadline. For householder applications — extensions, loft conversions, outbuildings, and other works to a dwelling house — you have 12 weeks from the date printed on your decision notice to submit a valid appeal to the Planning Inspectorate. For most other application types including full planning applications, the deadline is 6 months. Missing this deadline means losing your right to appeal entirely. There is no extension and no exception.
Your decision notice will state the application type. If you are unsure which deadline applies to your case, Planning Decoder's decode identifies your application type and flags the relevant deadline in the report.
An appeal statement that does not directly address each refusal reason will not succeed. Before drafting anything, you need to understand exactly what each refusal reason is saying, which policy it relies on, and what evidence would challenge it. Planning Decoder translates each refusal reason into plain English and tells you the strongest arguments available to you based on how similar reasons have been treated by Inspectors nationally.
All planning appeals in England are submitted through the Planning Inspectorate's online appeals portal at appeals.planninginspectorate.gov.uk. You will need to create an account, select the appeal type, and upload your appeal documents. The submission process includes: your completed appeal form, a copy of the original planning application documents, a copy of the council's decision notice, and your appeal statement.
The appeal is free to submit for householder applications. You do not need a planning consultant to submit — the process is designed to be accessible to applicants acting on their own. However, a well-structured appeal statement makes a material difference to your chances of success.
Your appeal statement is the most important document you will submit. It should directly address each refusal reason, explain why the council's reasoning is wrong or disproportionate, reference relevant national and local planning policy, and provide evidence — particularly local precedent (approved comparable applications nearby) and any technical reports (structural surveys, daylight assessments, ecology reports) that support your case.
The statement should be structured, clear, and focused entirely on planning policy and material considerations. Personal factors — how much you need the extension, the cost of alternative options, what your neighbours think — are not material planning considerations and will not influence the Inspector's decision. Stick to policy-based arguments supported by evidence.
For householder appeals, the standard procedure is written representations. You submit your appeal statement, the council submits their response (the "LPA statement"), you have an opportunity to comment on the council's response, and the Inspector visits the site with both parties present. The site visit is accompanied — the Inspector walks around the property with you and a council representative — but it is not a hearing. No new arguments are made during the site visit; it is purely for the Inspector to see the site in context.
After the site visit, the Inspector issues a written decision letter typically within 6–8 weeks. Current average end-to-end timeline for written representation householder appeals: 20–26 weeks from valid appeal to decision.
If the Inspector allows your appeal, you have full planning permission for your development. The permission is equivalent to a permission granted by the council — it will have conditions attached that you must comply with. You can begin development once you have discharged any pre-commencement conditions.
If the Inspector dismisses your appeal, you cannot appeal again on the same application. You would need to submit a new planning application (with amended proposals) if you still wish to pursue the development.
A Site Intelligence Report gives you the evidence foundation for your appeal — specific refusal reason analysis, comparable decisions at nearby properties that support your case, and a clear view of your appeal likelihood before you commit. Delivered in 48 hours.
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