What is a planning appeal, and what are the odds of winning one?
A planning appeal asks the Planning Inspectorate, an independent national body, to redetermine your council's refusal. For householder applications the deadline is twelve weeks from the decision, and the appeal is decided by an inspector on the planning merits.
Planning appeal in one paragraph
A planning appeal asks the Planning Inspectorate, an independent national body, to redetermine your council's refusal. For householder applications the deadline is twelve weeks from the decision, and the appeal is decided by an inspector on the planning merits.
Legal basis: Section 78 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, with householder appeals following the expedited procedure under the Town and Country Planning (Appeals) (Written Representations Procedure) (England) Regulations 2009.
What the London numbers show
These are government figures for all 33 London boroughs, not estimates. They are the same numbers we publish on each borough page, summed — so if a borough page and this page ever disagreed, one of them would be wrong.
Planning appeals against London councils
Appeals determined by the Planning Inspectorate, 2021–2026. Enforcement and withdrawn cases excluded.
| Appeals determined | 17,702 |
|---|---|
| Allowed | 5,787 |
| Allowed | 33% |
| Householder appeals allowedFrom 7,355 householder appeals | 41% |
Source: Planning Inspectorate appeals casework. Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-08-16.
The deadlines, which are absolute
Twelve weeks from the decision notice for a householder appeal, six months for other planning appeals, and twenty-eight days for an enforcement notice appeal. The Inspectorate has no discretion to extend them, and a late appeal is not accepted however good the case.
Only the applicant may appeal. A neighbour who objects to an approval cannot appeal it; their route is judicial review, which challenges the lawfulness of the process rather than the planning merits.
The three procedures
Written representations, where the inspector reads the papers and visits the site, covers the overwhelming majority of householder cases and is the fastest. A hearing is a round-table discussion led by the inspector. An inquiry involves advocates and cross-examination and is reserved for major or legally complex schemes.
What actually wins a householder appeal
Inspectors decide on planning merits against the development plan, so an appeal is not a second chance to argue the same case louder. It succeeds when the refusal reasons are addressed directly with evidence: daylight assessed rather than asserted, the streetscene drawn rather than described, comparable approvals nearby cited by reference.
It follows that the drawings often decide the outcome. A refusal that turns on the perceived bulk of a rear extension is answered by a section and streetscene showing what will actually be visible — which is why an appeal is frequently won on material that should have accompanied the original application.
How long does it take, and what does it cost?
A householder written-representations appeal typically takes a few months from valid submission to decision. There is no fee to appeal. Costs awards are unusual and are made for unreasonable behaviour by either party, not simply for losing.
The alternative worth weighing first is a revised application, which most councils allow free of charge within twelve months of a refusal on the same site. Where the refusal reasons are fixable by design, that is faster than an appeal and usually cheaper.
Planning appeal: common questions
How long do I have to appeal a householder refusal?+
Does appealing cost anything?+
Should I appeal or resubmit?+
Where planning appeal affects the drawings
Sources
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