Should you appeal or reapply after a planning refusal?
You should not rush to appeal. That has always been good advice, and since the appeal rules changed in April 2026 it has become the single most important judgement a refused applicant makes. The right choice between appealing and submitting a fresh application now depends almost entirely on the state of your application file, because […]
How do you write grounds of appeal in 250 words?
The appeal form gives you a box of around 250 words to explain why the council got it wrong. For most appeals against a refusal of planning permission, that box is now the whole argument under the new appeal rules. No statement follows it, and the inspector decides the case on your grounds and the […]
How does a planning appeal work under the new rules?
Most planning appeals in England are now decided without an appeal statement. The Planning Inspectorate calls the new system the Part One written representations procedure, and it applies to most planning applications submitted on or after 1 April 2026. If your refusal falls within it, your appeal will be decided almost entirely on the papers […]
Planning enforcement in Hounslow: what to do if you have received a notice
Hounslow’s planning enforcement team is patient, methodical and busier than most in most other councils in England. It receives around 450 to 500 complaints a year, has 50 or so enforcement notices on its books at any one time and publishes a monthly progress report listing every one of them, address by address. It also […]
Planning enforcement in Tower Hamlets: what to do if you have received a notice
Tower Hamlets is serving more enforcement notices than it has in years. The council’s Planning Compliance team has been visibly busier since 2024, and the number of enforcement appeals decided against the borough jumped sevenfold in the past year. If a notice or a warning letter has just arrived, that is the context: you have […]
Planning enforcement in Haringey: what to do if you have received a notice
Haringey runs one of the busiest planning enforcement teams in London. Only a handful of councils in the whole country fight more enforcement appeals, and the team serves notices at a rate most boroughs don’t come close to. So if a notice or a warning letter has landed on your doormat, you are not alone, […]
Received a planning enforcement notice from Camden Council?
If Camden Council has served you with a planning enforcement notice, check the date on which it takes effect. Any appeal must be received before that date. If you miss the deadline, you will normally lose the right to appeal. The notice may require you to stop using a property in a particular way, remove […]
Received a planning enforcement notice from Westminster Council?
If Westminster City Council has served you with a planning enforcement notice, it is important that you take professional advice. The notice will say what the council believes is wrong with your property and what it wants you to do about it. It may require you to remove an extension, alter a roof, stop using […]
How to write a planning appeal statement – and when you still need one
Why you may not need an appeal statement at all Since 1 April 2026, most planning appeals in England no longer involve an appeal statement at all. Appeals against a refusal of planning permission – along with conditions appeals, prior approval refusals and most other appeals under section 78 of the Town and Country Planning […]
Planning enforcement in Harrow: one of England’s strictest councils is getting tougher
Harrow has always been one of the strictest planning authorities in England. It refuses far more applications than most councils — in a typical year it grants permission for only around 72 per cent of householder schemes, against a national average of about 90 per cent — and it runs an active enforcement team that […]