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Planning Direct offers a wide range of written statements to accompany most types of planning applications, planning appeals, planning enforcement cases and planning objections.
This page contains some useful information about appeal statements. These are a required document for all planning appeals, including appeals against a refusal of planning permission and appeals against an enforcement notice.
Follow the links below to find out more about some of our other written statements.
WHAT ARE APPEAL STATEMENTS?
Appeal statements are also known as grounds of appeal statements. They are a required document for all types of planning appeal, including appeals against a refusal of planning permission and appeals against enforcement notices.
This means if you submit your planning appeal without an appeal statement, it will be turned away.
Find out more about submitting a planning appeal using the button below.
Appeal statements are quasi-legal written documents that aim to explore – in planning terms and by reference to the appropriate planning policies – those reasons why a local council’s decision should be overturned. Accordingly, their primary goal is normally to have the council’s decision reversed and planning permission granted.
The layout and content of an appeal statement will vary considerably depending on the matter under appeal.
Every appeal statement we produce is unique – we may recycle our winning arguments but never our statements!
Appeal statements generally serve the following purposes:
- Provide critical assessment of the matter in hand including, for example, explaining the ways in which the proposed development achieves good design and so gains the support of relevant planning policies
- Offer a robust critique of the council’s decision and decision-making process including, for example, exploring why their reasoning is flawed, illogical or based on misinformation
- Investigate and discuss any relevant material planning considerations* that weigh in favour of the appeal’s success
- Suggest or secure minor alterations, mitigations or planning conditions that would neutralise any harm(s) identified by the council (e.g. obscure glazing for bathroom windows to reduce overlooking.)
*Material planning considerations
Material planning considerations are matters that planning decision makers can and should take into account. In fact, there is a rule in planning that allows decision makers (for appeals, that’s normally the Planning Inspectorate) to approve development that conflicts with national and/or local policies if they are satisfied that material planning considerations support this. Material planning considerations include things like road safety, previous planning decisions, loss of light and nature conservation. Certain matters – including loss of property value and loss of trade – can never be material planning considerations. This means decision makers are not allowed to take them into account. Find out more about material planning considerations using the button below.
WHAT APPEAL STATEMENTS DOES PLANNING DIRECT OFFER?
Here at Planning Direct, we are able to produce appeal statements for all types of planning appeals, including (but not limited to) appeals against:
- a refusal of planning permission
- a refusal of listed building consent
- an enforcement notice.
Although we handle all kinds of planning appeals, we specialise in complex and heritage cases.
If you’ve recently received a planning refusal or enforcement notice, we recommend that you contact us as soon as possible as there will be a deadline to appeal. Our initial advice is always free and so are our no-obligation quotations.