What to do if your application is refused or delayed

If the council refuses permission or imposes conditions, it must give written reasons.

If you are unhappy or unclear about the reasons for refusal or the conditions imposed, talk to staff at the planning department.

Ask them if changing your plans might make a difference. If your application has been refused, you may be able to submit another application with modified plans free of charge within 12 months of the decision on your first application.

Alternatively, if you think the council's decision is unreasonable, you may wish to consider appealing to the First Secretary of State.

You can also appeal if the council does not issue a decision within eight weeks (known as non-determination). Unless you have agreed in writing to an extension of that period. If you appeal, your application will be out of the council's hands.

Appeals are intended as a last resort and they take several months to decide. It may be quicker to discuss with the council whether changes to your proposal would make it more acceptable or, in cases of non-determination, when your application might be decided if you choose not to appeal.

The deadline for submitting an appeal is now 6 months from the date of the application decision letter (or in the case of non-determination, 6 months from the date the decision should have been made).

The 6 month period applies to all planning (section 78), listed building and conservation area consent (section 20) appeals. 

The change to the appeal period affects:

• local planning authority decisions made on or after 14 January 2005 and
• decisions in the pipeline on 14 January 2005 – i.e. where the previous appeal period of 3 months had not elapsed.  This means that the six month period to appeal will apply to all decisions made by local planning authorities on or after 14 October 2004.

Note: It will not apply retrospectively to decisions where the appeal period had elapsed by 14 January 2005.