Tips for appeals

The right to appeal
A developer who is refused planning permission, or who finds the conditions attached to the permission unacceptable, has the right to appeal to the secretary of state for planning.

• Appeals are heard by independent inspectors from the Planning Inspectorate, an agency of the Department for Communities and Local Government.

• Inspectors are appointed by the secretary of state.

When this happens, the local authority is always informed. If you have been involved at the application stage, the authority will notify you, too.

If you haven't been involved up to this point, you can ask your council's chief planning officer to let you know if a planning decision that concerns you is being appealed against.

The decision to appeal: what you can do
If you have an interest in the outcome of an appeal, contact any groups who may be sympathetic to your point of view, such as local CPRE groups, the parish council, amenity societies, wildlife trusts, influential individuals and councillors.

Let them know about the decision to appeal, and gather as much new information as you can.

Spread the word further by contacting your MP, the media and neighbouring local authorities.

The more people you can get to support your view, the better.