Your appeal statement must directly challenge the council's reasons for refusal. Here's the structure and content that works.
Address every single refusal reason stated in the decision notice. Not most of them — all of them. An Inspector can only allow your appeal if you've countered every ground for refusal. Leave one unaddressed and it may be enough to dismiss your appeal.
Open with a brief summary of the application and what was refused. Then address each refusal reason in turn with a headed section. For each reason: state the council's position, present your counter-argument, cite any relevant planning policy or appeal precedent, and reference supporting evidence. Close with a summary of why the appeal should be allowed.
Precedent is your most powerful tool. Find applications on your street or nearby that were approved with similar scale, design, and impact. Reference them by application number, address, and date. Don't just assert that similar things have been approved — show it with specifics the Inspector can verify.
Don't introduce new schemes or significant amendments in your appeal — this is a challenge to the decision on the application as submitted. Don't make personal attacks on the planning officer. Don't repeat the same point in multiple sections. Don't include irrelevant background — keep it focused on the refusal reasons.
Householder appeal statements should be clear and concise — typically 3-8 pages. Use headed sections. Number your paragraphs. Include an appendix for supporting documents and precedent applications. The Inspector is reading dozens of statements — make yours easy to navigate.
Planning Decoder can draft your appeal letter for £19.99 — citing your exact refusal reasons and local precedents.
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