Planning appeals

If you seek consent or permission to carry out particular works to your property and your application is not decided within a set period, or the local authority refuses your application or grants it with conditions you disagree with, you usually have a right of appeal.

Appeals must be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate within twelve weeks for householder applications and six months for all others. All appeals must be lodged with the Planning Inspectorate.

Planning appeals lodged and decided

See planning appeals lodged and decided within London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.

The appeal process is available to applicants only. Objectors and other interested third parties have no right of appeal under UK planning legislation.

More information

Additional guidance on how to submit your householder appeal can be found on the Planning Portal.

The Planning Inspectorate

All planning appeals are administered by the Planning Inspectorate.

Only the applicant for consent or permission can make an appeal. There is no right of appeal for interested people or organisations (known as ‘third parties’).

You can also appeal if the local planning authority has served you with an Enforcement Notice.

There are strict time limits on the right to appeal.

Inspectors decide most appeals, but in cases where they make a report to the Secretary of State the appeal is decided by the Secretary of State. This is termed a 'called in' inquiry and usually only occurs with very large developments.

Submitting an appeal

There are three ways of submitting an appeal:

  • Written Representation (the cheapest, simplest and most common procedure)
  • Informal Hearing (discussion forum)
  • Public Inquiry (full cross examination)

Further information can be found at the Planning Portal website:

Planning Inspectorate guidance booklets

Guides to taking part in planning appeals proceedings:

Guides to taking part in enforcement appeals proceedings:

For further information please email planningappeals@richmond.gov.uk.