Planning Appeal Refused – What Next? A Step-by-Step Guide for Homeowners

Planning appeal refused – what does it actually mean?

When a planning appeal is refused (or more accurately, dismissed) it means the Planning Inspectorate has agreed with your local council’s decision to refuse planning permission. The Inspector has looked at the case afresh, considered both sides, and decided that planning permission still shouldn’t be granted.

That can feel like the end of the road. However, in practice, a refused appeal is often just one step in the life of a project. Many extensions, loft conversions and garden rooms only get built after a redesign or a fresh planning application that deals with the original concerns.

So when you’re asking “Planning Appeal Refused What Next?”, the key is to separate emotion from the facts. You need to understand:

• Why the appeal was refused (the reasons matter more than the yes/no outcome).
• What type of application you were appealing (householder, full, outline, etc.).
• What options remain – new application, revised scheme, different route such as permitted development, or in rare cases a legal challenge.

Refused appeal vs refused application vs dismissed: what’s the difference?

Planning jargon can be confusing, especially when you’re reading decision notices from both your council and the Planning Inspectorate. It helps to separate three ideas:

1. Planning application refused by the council

This is the first step. The council decides your planning application and issues a refusal notice. Reasons might relate to design, overbearing impact, loss of light, highways, heritage, or conflict with local policies. If you’re at this stage, our guide on what to do after a refusal is a good starting point.

2. Planning appeal dismissed or refused

When you appeal, an independent Inspector reviews the case. They can either:

• Allow the appeal – and grant permission, sometimes with conditions.
• Dismiss the appeal – essentially agreeing with the council that permission should not be given.

Homeowners often describe this as a “planning appeal refused”, but technically the term is “dismissed”. The effect is the same: you still don’t have planning permission.

3. Appeal withdrawn or deemed invalid

Sometimes an appeal doesn’t reach a decision because it’s withdrawn or declared invalid (for example, because it was out of time). In that case, there is no appeal decision to challenge – the original council refusal simply stands.

Which types of applications can end up with a refused appeal?

Most domestic projects fall under one of these application types:

• Householder planning permission – typical for extensions, loft conversions, garage conversions and porches.
• Full planning permission – sometimes used for change of use or more substantial alterations.
• Listed building consent – if your home is listed, you may have appealed a refusal of listed building consent rather than standard planning permission.

Each of these can be appealed, but the time limits to do so differ. Our main planning appeal guide explains those deadlines in detail. Once your appeal has been refused, those deadlines have already passed – which is why you may now be looking at a fresh application or, in very limited cases, a High Court challenge.

What does a planning appeal refusal letter include – and how to read it

Your Inspector’s decision is more than just a “yes” or “no”. It normally includes:

• Background and site description – what the Inspector saw on their visit.
• Main issues – for example, impact on neighbours, character of the area, highway safety or living conditions.
• Reasoning – why the proposal conflicts (or is said to conflict) with the development plan and national policy.
• Conclusion – whether the benefits outweigh the harm, and the final decision to allow or dismiss.

When a planning appeal is refused, the reasoning section is gold dust. It shows what you would have to change to have any chance with a revised scheme.

Who should help after a planning appeal has been refused?

Once your appeal has been dismissed, getting the right help becomes even more important, because the planning history of the site now includes both a refusal and a refused appeal.

Homeowners typically turn to one or more of the following:

• Planning consultant – to analyse the decision and advise on strategy. Our guide to using planning consultants effectively explains what to expect.
• Architect or designer – to redesign the scheme so it respects the Inspector’s findings, including light, overlooking and massing. See architect drawings for planning for how this fits in.
• Structural engineer – mainly needed later, when you’re preparing structural calculations for building regulations and construction.

Sometimes the best team is a planner-and-designer combination: one person shapes the planning strategy, another produces clear drawings for a new application that show how concerns have been addressed.

Planning Appeal Refused What Next – costs and timelines to consider

There is normally no fee to submit a planning appeal itself for most householder applications. However, once an appeal has been refused and you’re looking at next steps, the key costs are:

• Professional advice – planning consultant, architect or both.
• New plans and technical reports – updated drawings, daylight/sunlight reports, heritage statements and so on.
• Fresh planning application fee – payable to the council for the new application.
• Potential legal advice – if you’re considering a High Court challenge (rare for domestic work).

In terms of timing, you’ll also need to manage expectations:

• Redesign and preparation: 2–8 weeks, depending on how much you change.
• New planning application: typically 8 weeks for householder decisions, though many councils take longer. Our timelines guide explains why.
• Building control approval: once you have permission, you will still need building regulations approval before works start.

Step-by-step: what to do when a planning appeal is refused

When you get the decision letter, it’s easy to panic. Instead, follow this calm, step-by-step checklist to decide your next move.

Planning Appeal Refused What Next – practical checklist

Pitfalls and gotchas after a refused planning appeal

Once an appeal has been dismissed, it’s easy to feel you’ve got nothing left to lose. However, there are still several traps that can make your position worse.

1. Assuming you can “wait it out”

Homeowners sometimes ask whether they can keep unauthorised works in place for four years and then rely on the so-called 4-year rule. The law around immunity from enforcement is complex and has tightened in recent years. Relying on this approach after an appeal has already highlighted harm is risky and should only be considered with specialist legal advice.

2. Ignoring building regulations

Even if you eventually secure planning permission, you still need to deal with building regulations, including structural safety (Part A), fire protection (Part B) and energy efficiency (Part L). Building work carried out without approval can cause problems when you come to sell, and may require retrospective certificates.

3. Submitting the same design again

If you resubmit more or less the same scheme that the Inspector has already dismissed, you are likely to receive another refusal. Councils can even refuse to determine repetitive applications. A better approach is to genuinely rethink the layout, height, massing or use – or to explore a different type of extension altogether, such as a more modest single-storey scheme. Our extension cost guide can help you balance budget with what’s realistically approvable.

4. Not talking to neighbours

Many Inspector decisions hinge on impact on neighbours. Before you prepare a new scheme, it can be worth talking to those immediately affected. While they don’t control the process, reducing objections can help your case and improve day-to-day relationships.

Technical details: can a refused planning appeal be overturned?

Once the Planning Inspectorate has dismissed an appeal, there is no further right of appeal on the planning merits. You cannot simply appeal again because you disagree with the outcome.

Challenging an Inspector’s decision in the High Court

There is a limited route to challenge an appeal decision in the High Court, but only on legal grounds. This is sometimes referred to as a “statutory review”. For example, you might argue that the Inspector:

• Misinterpreted planning law or policy.
• Failed to take a relevant consideration into account.
• Reached a decision that no reasonable Inspector could have made on the evidence.

This is a specialist legal route, subject to strict time limits (usually six weeks from the date of the decision), and it focuses on points of law rather than re-arguing whether your extension is attractive or not. Most homeowners find that a redesigned scheme or fresh application is more cost-effective than High Court litigation.

Can a third party appeal a planning decision?

Neighbours sometimes ask whether they can appeal if permission has been granted. In general, only the applicant can appeal a refusal. Third parties cannot usually appeal a grant of permission, though they may be able to challenge a decision in the courts on legal grounds. If you’re the applicant, this means your refused appeal is essentially the end of the line on the same design – but not necessarily the end of your project altogether.

FAQs – planning appeal refused questions answered

Next steps & useful guides

If your planning appeal has been refused, these related guides from Plans Made Easy can help you decide what to do next and how to avoid repeat refusals:

• Full guide to navigating planning appeals – understand routes, deadlines and evidence.
• What to do after a planning refusal – your options before and after appeal.
• Complete homeowner’s guide to planning permission – how the whole system fits together.
• Making plans for extensions and conversions – from first sketch to approval.
• Planning drawings explained – what good drawings include and why they matter.
• Drawings for a planning application – avoid rejections on technical grounds.
• Typical planning permission costs – fees, professional costs and hidden extras.
• Working with planning consultants – when expert help can save time and stress.

Official resources if you’d like to read more

For the latest national guidance on planning decisions and appeals, you may also find these resources useful:

• Planning Portal – national planning guidance and application information
• GOV.UK – overview of planning permission in England and Wales

Always check the official sites for the most up-to-date rules, as planning law and policy can change.