Introduction
Welcome to this week’s blog; What to do when your planning application is refused. First of all, don’t worry, it does not mean it is the end of the road for your planning application. Read on to find out more.
What to do when your planning application is refused
First and foremost, have the decision reviewed by a professional Planning Consultant. Here at NAPC, we are experts in looking at it from every angle. To see what small adjustments could be made to make the proposal more acceptable. We’ll be able to advise if it is worthwhile re-submitting. After all, you can benefit from your free re-submission and this option is also the most expedient.
If on review it is felt that there would be a limited chance of overcoming the reasons for refusal with a re-design, all is not lost. You have the right to appeal a Planning application refusal to the Planning Inspectorate. An executive agency of The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG). Whose job it is to make decisions and provide recommendations on planning-related issues.
Appealing the planning application refusal
There are different planning appeal routes:
- written representations
- an informal hearing
- Inquiry
The nature of your project will determine which route is most appropriate to take. We recommend taking guidance from a qualified Planning Consultant, such as ourselves. We have an expert team on board with well over 20 years of collective experience between us, specialising in the annexe market.
Householder Planning Application Appeals process
For householder Planning Applications, which most annexes are submitted under, there is a separate householder appeals process which has a shorter timeframe than other appeals.
Householders have up to 12 weeks to submit an appeal from the date of the decision. For non-householder planning applications, there is a six-month period to lodge an appeal. If you are appealing for another type of planning decision you should carefully check the time limits and rights for appealing.
If you lodge an appeal beyond these cut-off points then you can almost guarantee that it’s going to be immediately rejected. Without any further right of appeal, you’ll have to start the whole planning application process from scratch. So it is really important not to delay the appeal process and seek professional assistance as soon as possible.
The NAPC Appeal Service
NAPC will first review the submission made to your LPA and the decision notice. From this, our expert Planning Consultants will be able to understand the LPA’s justification for refusing the application and decide on the best strategy for the appeal and what areas to focus on.
NAPC will provide persuasive appeal statements drawing on our many years of experience, a wealth of knowledge, and invaluable resources such as case law and appeal precedents.
When it comes down to communication, we will lodge the appeal and deal with any correspondence from the Planning Inspectorate and LPA. So there will be less for you to worry about.
NAPC will monitor the appeal and attend any site visits, if necessary. When the appeal decision is issued we can review it, and if dismissed for any reason (we hope that won’t be the case) advise on the next steps and further options. Of course, there are never any guarantees when it comes to planning applications, but with our expert team on board, you have a much higher chance of getting approval, than going it alone.
If you have had your annexe or garden room refused please don’t worry. Contact the experts at NAPC and we can advise and assist you with the next steps. Complete our form below, or give us a call on 01285 283200. One of our friendly, expert team will be on hand to give you some initial advice over the phone.
Further reading on this subject can be found here
