Berwyn Owen is an experienced Town Planner with a background in both local government and private sector. Representing any client in an appeal is considered an important responsibility by the company and every case is fought with all the necessary preparation and knowledge at our disposal. We advise carefully on any prospect at appeal, and as a result our record of success is higher than the national average for allowed appeals.

Advice on Planning Appeals

When an application is refused planning permission there is always the option to appeal to the Planning Inspectorate against the Council’s decision. However it is our policy to assess firstly whether or not the proposal can be the subject of negotiation with the Council, to avoid the unnecessary expense and delay of an appeal. This is always the preferred route to secure a successful outcome. However this is not always possible and we will then give impartial advice on whether or not it is actually worth conducting an appeal. We will never knowingly advise a client to pursue an appeal if we think the chances of success are limited. So, what type of appeal is required…..?

Exchange of Written Statements

Following the lodging of an appeal and all the relevant documentation, both the appellant and Local Authority are given 6 weeks to submit their main statement of case to the Inspectorate. These statements are then exchanged between ourselves and the Authority and each are given 3 weeks to respond accordingly. Once this exchange of statements has taken place an Inspector is appointed to deal with the case and he/she will visit the site, usually accompanied by all parties, having firstly read all the documentation. No representations are allowed during this site visit and the Inspector will then issue the decision after the completion of the site inspection.

Informal Hearing

There is the option given to appellants to ask for an Informal Hearing. This is the same procedure as an exchange of written statements except on the day of the Inspectors site visit and Informal Hearing is held. This is effectively a round table discussion upon all the issues and it is led by the Inspector. There is no cross-examination and no reading out of submissions. It is, as the title implies, and informal way of getting to the heart of the issues and an opportunity for us as appellant’s representatives to question the Council’s decision in front of an Inspector. Similarly of course the planning officer can question our belief that permission should be allowed.

Once these discussions are complete, a site inspection is carried out where in most cases the discussions continue, and this is an opportunity to point matters out to the Inspector. Again once the site inspection is completed the Inspector will close the Hearing on site and go away and make his/her decision. Hearings are usually completed by lunchtime and rarely last a day.

Public Inquiry

This method of appeal is only required in complex cases, such as large applications for retail or major housing developments. There is usually an advocate involved (Solicitor, Barrister) and each side’s expert witness will be subject to cross-examination by the other side’s advocate. Public Inquiries can last for days and are not really suitable for most applications.

Enforcement Notice appeals

These appeals can be dealt with in either of the above ways, but the grounds of an appeal are strictly limited. Much will depend on the nature of the Enforcement Notice, and it should be noted that usually there is a much stricter timetable on these types of appeal than normal refusals of permission and so professional advice is often imperative because if the appeal deadline is missed and the Notice is not complied with, then the owner can be taken to Court by the Authority.