Planning appeals
If you seek planning permission to carry out works to your property and your application isn't decided within a set period, or you get a decision from your local council that you disagree with, you have a right to appeal.
If the council refuses a planning application, you can appeal to the First Secretary of State, who will appoint an inspector to make a decision on your appeal.
Details can be obtained from the
Planning Inspectorate (opens in a new window) 
.
Neither the Planning Inspectorate or the local planning authority will charge you to lodge an appeal except in relation to certain types of enforcement appeal.
Householder appeals
If your householder application was submitted on or after 6 April 2009 then the appeal will be determined through the new Householder Appeals Service (HAS). You will need to submit an appeal to the Secretary of State within 12 weeks of the date of the decision notice.
Any appeals in respect of applications received prior to 6 April 2009 will be dealt with as below.
Other appeals
Non-householder application appeals should be lodged within 6 months of the date of the decision notice. The appeal may be dealt by one of three procedures:
- Written representations - where the applicant (or their agent) submit the planning case in writing
- Local hearing - where the applicant (or agent) submit the case to an appointed inspector, but conducted in fairly informal surroundings and manner
- Inquiry - where (generally) an agent will present your case in a far more formal manner. The proceedings are similar to those in a court of law
Most are handled in writing and take about 18 weeks to determine. When determined by an informal hearing before an Inspector the appeal takes up to 24 weeks. Public Inquiries take about 40 weeks.
In all cases the local planning authority will respond to the arguments contained in your appeal statement. The Secretary of State's inspector will issue the final decision based on the planning merits of the case.
You can find out more about the appeals process or make an on-line planning appeal by accessing the
national Planning Portal website (opens in a new window) .
- Planning appeals - guidance for interested parties
A brief introduction to planning appeals for those with an interest in a planning application decision.
- Register of planning appeals - Purbeck
The development control section is responsible for most of the administrative arrangements for planning appeals. You can view the appeals register on this page.
