Planning Appeals

A refusal does not automatically mean you should appeal.

The first question is whether the Council’s decision is actually capable of being challenged successfully.

We review appeal prospects before recommending that a client commits to the process. That means looking at the refusal reasons, the relevant policy, the evidence, the site context and the way Inspectors have approached genuinely comparable cases.

It is not enough to think the Council has been unfair.
A good appeal identifies where the decision is wrong in planning terms and then proves the point clearly.
Our initial review can include:
- the officer report and decision notice;
- relevant policy and guidance;
- the application evidence;
- comparable appeal decisions;
- relevant planning permissions and refusals;
- site-specific precedent; and
- whether additional technical evidence would materially strengthen the case.
If we do not consider an appeal to be the right route, we will say so.
Where we recommend proceeding, we take the appeal seriously.
For many clients it is the final opportunity to secure the scheme in its current form. We therefore prepare detailed appeal submissions that address the refusal reasons directly rather than simply repeating the original planning statement.
That may include commissioning or updating technical work, analysing precedent, responding to third-party concerns and explaining why the Council’s interpretation of policy or site impacts should not be accepted.
Tetrick Planning has a strong record on planning appeals across a range of residential and commercial matters.
The Westminster shopfront case is a good example: retrospective shopfront and advertisement applications were refused, but the Inspector accepted the planning case on character, conservation-area impact, neighbour amenity and signage, and both appeals were allowed.
An appeal dismissal is not always the end of a project either.
Inspectors often reach conclusions on individual issues that can be useful in shaping a revised application. We have had cases where an appeal was dismissed but the decision clarified which elements were acceptable, allowing a new application to be framed around the remaining problem.
That is why the appeal decision should be read strategically, not simply as ‘won’ or ‘lost’.
We advise on the appropriate appeal route and can coordinate supporting consultants where the case requires specialist evidence.
Our role can include:
- appeal prospect reviews;
- written representations appeals;
- hearing preparation and representation;
- enforcement-related appeal strategy;
- technical evidence coordination; and
- post-appeal advice where a revised application remains possible.

Considering a Planning Appeal?

If your application has been refused, we can review the decision first and give you a clear view on whether an appeal is worth pursuing and what the case would need to succeed.

Contact Tetrick Planning to discuss a planning appeal.