Your council refused a house extension, a loft or an outbuilding and you think the reasons are weak. We read the decision notice and officer report, write the appeal statement, adjust the drawings where that helps, and lodge the appeal for you.
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Householder planning appeal
Fixed in writing after a free assessment of your property. Council planning fees are separate.
Every price is the total you pay. Checked 24 October 2026.
A refusal is a set of reasons, not a verdict on the house. Read them first. If the reasons are matters of fact, such as a wrongly measured separation distance or a policy that does not apply, an appeal can succeed. If they are matters of judgement about design or neighbour impact, a revised scheme on a fresh application is often quicker than waiting for an inspector.
Householder appeals are decided on the written papers, and the inspector usually visits the site. That puts the weight on the statement and the drawings. The strongest statements do three things: they answer each reason for refusal by number, they show comparable approved schemes on nearby streets, and they quote the policy the council relied on instead of paraphrasing it.
The numbers say appeals are worth considering without being a gamble to enter lightly. Across the five years to June 2026, around two in five London householder appeals were allowed. That is a track record of councils being overruled, not a promise for your case.
We give you a straight view of your chances after reading the officer report, before you pay for a full statement.
The 12-week clock starts on the date of the decision letter, not the day it arrives.
An appeal succeeds on the quality of its answers to the council's reasons, so the pack is built around those. Yours includes:
Every figure links to the law or the government source it comes from.
Section 78(1) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 lets an applicant appeal to the Secretary of State when a council refuses permission or grants it subject to conditions.
Source: legislation.gov.uk, Town and Country Planning Act 1990, s.78Section 78(2) allows an appeal when the council has not decided within the prescribed period, or within an extended period agreed in writing.
Source: legislation.gov.uk, Town and Country Planning Act 1990, s.78(2)A householder planning refusal can be appealed for up to 12 weeks from the date on the decision letter.
Source: GOV.UK, Appeal a householder planning decision: how long you have to appealCouncils must enter each decision on their planning register within 14 days of making it, so the decision notice is public.
Source: legislation.gov.uk, Development Management Procedure Order 2015, article 40(10)In England, 7,526 of 21,880 householder appeals determined in the five years to 30 June 2026 were allowed, or 34.4%.
Source: Planning Inspectorate casework data, summarised by us (GOV.UK statistics page)In London, 2,364 of 5,930 householder appeals determined over the same five years were allowed, or 39.9%.
Source: Planning Inspectorate casework data, summarised by us (GOV.UK statistics page)Tell us about your project and get a fixed, no-obligation quote back within one working day. If you don't need planning permission at all, we'll tell you that too — for free.
Check the current GOV.UK guidance when you file, because fees and rules change with each 1 April update. Our own part is a fixed amount for the statement and the submission. If the council behaved unreasonably, you can ask the inspector for an award of costs.
Only slightly. The inspector decides the scheme the council saw, so large changes are not allowed. Small changes that overcome an objection may be accepted. If the scheme needs real changes, a fresh application is usually the better route.
The deadline is firm. Once it has passed the refusal stands, and you would need a new application. If you are close, tell us today. We can lodge a notice of appeal quickly and send the statement shortly after.
Yes. Section 78(2) allows an appeal against non-determination once the statutory period, or any longer period you agreed in writing, has run out. It is worth speaking to the case officer first, because a decision may be days away.
Householder appeals are decided on the papers, and the inspector normally visits without a hearing. You may be asked to give access, and the neighbours may be too. We prepare you for the visit and tell you what the inspector is likely to look at.
Yes, if we can obtain the application drawings and the documents from the council's planning register. For work we did not prepare, we may need a short survey to check the dimensions, which we quote separately.
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