Guide

Your planning application was refused. What now?

Why householder applications get refused, whether to appeal or resubmit, and how long each route takes.

Two versions of the same house, one refused scheme in red and one revised scheme approved in green
Refused on the left, redesigned and approved on the right

A refusal is information, not a verdict

Around one in six householder applications is refused. Almost all of them can be built in some form. The refusal notice tells you exactly what the problem was, and that is the most useful document you will get.

Read the reasons, not the decision

Refusals cite specific policies. Usually it is bulk, overlooking, loss of light, or design that reads as an addition. Each one has a fix. A metre off the depth, an obscure glazed flank window, a lower parapet.

Resubmit or appeal

  • Resubmit. Free within twelve months. Usually faster and usually the right call, because you are addressing the stated reason rather than arguing about it.
  • Appeal. Twelve weeks to eight months through the Planning Inspectorate. Worth it when the refusal is unreasonable rather than fixable.

Our read: if the reason for refusal is something you can design around, resubmit. If the council has applied a policy incorrectly, appeal. The mistake is appealing out of frustration.

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Building regulations and planning permission are not the same thing

Two separate approvals, two separate risks. What each one covers and why passing one does not help with the other.

Read it →
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