Yesterday (25th June 2025) the government published its intentions for improving (speeding up and simplifying) the planning appeals system which it aims to bring into place by the end of this year. Planning applications to local planning authorities from the date of implementation will become eligible for the simplified appeals process. Under the new process the majority of written representation appeals will need to rely upon only the evidence put before the local planning authority during the application stage. The Inspector will determine the appeal without the main parties needing to submit new evidence.
To clarify, the streamlined appeal regime will apply to the refusal of planning permission or reserved matters, the imposition of conditions on approvals, and the refusal of prior notification or prior approval.
When submitting their appeal, appellants will usually only need to submit: a copy of their application, the notice of the local authority’s decision and a ‘brief statement’ responding to the LPA’s decision and why they disagree.
Government explains it will update the procedural guide once the final draft of the regulations is published.
Director Giles Moir commented: I welcome the principle of speeding up the appeals process for written representation appeals. The current system is overly burdensome and time consuming for both the appellant and the Local Authority leading to delays. I note the Inspectorate will decide such appeals on the same basis and information as the planning application, unless there are exceptional circumstances that require new evidence, and that the Planning Inspectorate can transfer an appeal from the process to the standard written representations process, or a hearing or inquiry, where the expedited process is not best suited for handling the appeal. The proposed changes reinforces the need for an application to be sufficiently evidence at the point of submission, I will be interested to see what the ’brief statement’ allowed by the appellant to accompany the appeal will entail.
