How to read your planning refusal notice
Most people open a planning decision notice and see one word: REFUSED. Everything underneath it looks formal and difficult, so it is tempting to put the letter down and assume that is the end of the application. It may not be. The reasons underneath the decision are what matter. They tell you what the council […]
Class MA prior approval refused: can you appeal?
If the council has refused your Class MA prior-approval application, you can appeal to the Planning Inspectorate. You shouldn’t appeal automatically. The best course depends on exactly why the council refused it, whether that reason stands up to scrutiny and whether the problem can be dealt with more effectively through a fresh application. The council […]
What are my real chances of winning a planning appeal?
People who contact me after a refusal nearly always ask the same question: what are my chances at appeal? Most have already heard that roughly one planning appeal in three succeeds. What they want to know is whether their appeal will succeed — their plans, on their site, against the particular reasons the council gave […]
Annexe refused as a ‘separate dwelling’? Is it worth appealing?
If the council has refused your annexe because it considers it a separate dwelling, there may be a good case for an appeal. A kitchen, bathroom and separate entrance are all relevant, but the decision depends on how the accommodation would work alongside the main house. An appeal is most promising where the application already […]
Refused a change of use to residential? How to appeal
Councils are strangely reluctant to let people turn empty shops and offices into homes. You would think that in the middle of a housing shortage they would jump at it. Plenty of the time they do the opposite, and a refused change of use to residential is one of the decisions we see most. This […]
Planning permission refused over the setting of a listed building? Can you appeal?
When a decision notice says that a proposal would harm “the setting of a listed building”, applicants often wonder how a building they are not touching can be a reason for refusal. Planning law protects more than the listed structure itself. Its surroundings can form part of what makes it historically or architecturally important. If […]
What does ‘loss of amenity’ mean in planning?
If a planning refusal says that your development would cause a “loss of amenity”, the council means that it would make somebody’s home or surroundings less pleasant to use. That might be because of overlooking, loss of light, a poorer outlook, an overbearing building, noise or disturbance. The difficulty is that amenity is a catch-all […]
What should I do if refused planning permission?
A refusal can feel like the end of the road, but it doesn’t have to be. A planning refusal is just one council case officer’s view of one particular proposal, and it often just one step on the process to getting permission for what you want. Don’t panic, and don’t give up. I have been […]
Will the Council Pay Your Appeal Costs?
Almost everyone who has been unfairly refused asks the same question: if I win my appeal, will the council have to pay me back? The honest answer is usually no. Winning your appeal does not, by itself, get you your costs. Costs are awarded for a council behaving unacceptably badly, not simply for being wrong. […]
Roof extension refused, or built without permission? How to appeal
Most people who extend at roof level never expect to meet the planning system at all. They build a dormer or a loft conversion assuming it is permitted development, as most roof extensions are, and only discover otherwise when a letter arrives from the council, or when a retrospective application they were told to submit […]