Going through a planning application appeal process

[ey143]

Hi

Could we have some comments here from people who have actually gone through a planning appeal process for e.g a single storey extension? I'm considering my options but would like to know how long it took others to reach the planning inspectorate, what was involved, where there any costs, what were you appealing, what was the outcome and just how the whole thing worked.

Did you also manage to meet and discuss your application with the inspectorate? What borough district were you appealing from?

Many thanks.

 

[tony1851]

For a domestic extension appeal, IIRC you have 12 weeks (might be 8?) to get your appeal in to the Inspectorate at Bristol - beyond that time they will refuse to deal with it.

The form is relatively straightforward, the main part being your 'grounds of appeal'. You need to show that the proposal would fall within the council's published policy guidelines. You can do it yourself, though a planning consultant could help, but you would probably be looking at up to £1K; the appeal itself is free.

You send a copy of your appeal to the council, and they get the opportunity to put their case (in writing), and the Inspectorate then sends this back to you so you can address any issues raised.

In due course, the inspector visits the site; you should be there, along with someone from the council, but neither you nor the council official can make any representations at that stage.

The inspector later writes to both parties giving his decision. The whole process is supposed to take around 12 weeks.

 

[ey143]

Thanks.

I've read some of the posts by other people here saying that they had to pay the council's cost when losing the appeal case because the council hired expensive people??

Is it normally the case that if you lose you dont pay any costs?

 

[Diyisfun]

you could ask your council or look on there web site they may be a section that deals with appeals, you wont be the only person who will have made an appeal.

 

[tony1851]

Is it normally the case that if you lose you dont pay any costs?

The normal rule is that each side pays their own costs, win or lose.

The exception is where one side has behaved unreasonably, for example in causing the other side to waste time or money, but these instances are relatively rare.