Did you know?
30% of refusals by Councils are overturned on appeal.
Of our last 10, we have won 7. That's double the national average.
Why Choose The Appeals Guy?
Experience and Expertise
With over 20 years of experience in Town Planning, the qualified planners at The Appeals Guy have the expertise to handle your appeal. Specialising in appealing small scale applications, and aiming to provide a top quality, efficient service, The Appeals Guy will always provide value for money.
Covering the whole of England, the Planners at The Appeals Guy have actually worked in Local Government Planning Departments across the length and breadth of the Country - including departments in London and the Home Counties, Birmingham and the Midlands, the Lake District and the North West, the North East, and on the South Coast.
So you can rest assured the Planners at The Appeals Guy have a good understanding of the reasons for refusal and we will be able to make a very strong case for you at appeal.
We have an impressive track record, winning 7 of our last 10 appeals (updated February 2025).
These include -
- The retrospective rendering of a dwelling. We demonstrated to the Inspectorate that the render was an attractive feature in the street and that the fact that the materials are different to others on the street does not necessarily lead to it being unacceptable. The Inspector agreed with our argument and the owner was allowed to keep the render on his property, saving him thousands of pounds.
- A two storey rear extension. We successfully argued that the scheme was subservient to the host dwelling and would be in keeping with the character of the property.
- A single storey side extension with a zinc roof. We demonstrated that the scheme would have a positive impact on the character of the property and found examples of recent case law which highlighted the sustainability benefits of using modern building techniques.
- A large single storey rear extension which the Council felt had a detrimental impact on the amenity of the neighbours. We successfully argued that the scheme was as acceptable compromise between the need for space for the applicant and an acceptable impact on the adjoining neighbour.
Our Service
At The Appeals Guy, we believe that everyone should have the right to appeal a decision they feel is incorrect. To facilitate this we offer a fast, low-cost service that includes a free, completely non-committal chat to discuss your scheme to see if we can help.
Then, if you want to instruct us, we charge a flat rate of £300 for your appeal if it relates to a householder scheme. This covers everything from the submission of the paperwork and the appeal statement, to all contact with the Council and the Planning Inspectorate.
We will submit your appeal within 7 days from receiving payment and we will be by your side throughout the whole process.
How we do it
Our Town Planners have access a national database that contains all recent and historical planning appeals. We use this database to find precedents for schemes like yours and use this information to craft an argument for the acceptability of your scheme.
We also work with an experienced Solicitor who helps us form our statements to make them as compelling as possible.
Using these tools, and combining them with our years of experience in Town Planning, we put together the strongest possible case for your appeal.
We are more than happy sending you copies of sample appeal statements so you can see the quality of our work.
Contact us for a non-committal chat -
Email - info@theappealsguy.com
Phone - 03301330859
Common reasons for refusal
Front extensions
Councils often have issues with extensions that breach the front building line of the dwelling. They often state that the works create an incongruous feature in the street scene.
When dealing with appeals for front extensions, we take time assessing the scheme, we look for other examples in the area that might have set a precedent, and we look through our national appeals database to see if any similar appeals have been allowed. Design is extremely subjective so anything we can do to put doubt in the mind of the Inspector helps when we submit your appeal. This approach allows us to put together a strong case.
Side extensions
We have found that Councils often have issues with side extensions, claiming that they unbalance the property, or a pair of semi-detached dwellings. For this type of appeal, we take a deep dive into permitted development fallback positions to point out to the Planning Inspectorate how your scheme would not be materially different from what you could build outside of planning control. Again, we will look at other approvals in the area, and assess the scheme against other appeals that might have been allowed.
Rear extensions
Often, rear extensions are refused due to the perceived impact on the amenity of the neighbouring properties. These decisions are often made against the policy without any regard for land levels, property orientation, fall back positions, and a full assessment of what the lay of the land is like. We fully assess the scheme against the policy, but also against what you could build under permitted development rights. We use this fall back position as a material planning consideration and demonstrate to the Planning Inspectorate that the level of impact is not as great as the Council believed when they made their assessment.
Dormer windows
Local Councils like to insist that dormer windows should be set in from the side of the dwelling, set down from the ridge line, and often have issues with a flat roof.
We look at other examples in the area that may have been built under permitted development rights, we argue the fall back position and demonstrate how what is being appealled is no worse visually, and we interrogate the actual policy and design guide to make sure the Officer isn't putting their own spin on the document.