Planning Appeals Consultant, Norfolk and East of England | Silverback Planning
Refused planning permission? Let's look at it properly.
A refusal is not always the end of the road. But since April 2026 the appeal system has changed, and the wrong first move can cost you months. I’ll tell you honestly whether an appeal is worth it, or whether a revised application is the better route.
Why I’m different
I spent more than 20 years in local government, including as Head of Planning and Chief Planning Officer. I have defended councils’ decisions at appeal, instructed King’s Counsel and trained the officers who write refusal notices. I know where refusal reasons are weak, because I’ve seen them written.
I don’t just re-argue whether your scheme is “good”. I look for the council’s error: a policy misread, evidence ignored, harm asserted without proof, or national policy not properly applied. That turns an appeal from a difference of opinion into a reason the Inspector can rely on.
The rules changed in April 2026
Which appeal procedure applies depends on when your application was submitted.
- Applications submitted before 1 April 2026. The previous written representations procedure still applies. I can submit a full statement of case with fresh evidence, and respond to the council’s case.
- Applications submitted on or after 1 April 2026. Most appeals now follow a faster procedure. The Inspector decides on what was in front of the council: your application, the officer’s report and the representations made at the time. There is no statement of case, no new evidence, no amended plans and no further comments from neighbours.
For most new applications, the application is the appeal case. If something important was missing when it was refused, an appeal may not be able to fix it, and a stronger resubmission can be the quicker way to a permission.
Hearings and inquiries still exist for complex cases, and I can ask the Planning Inspectorate to use one where it is justified. Appeals against non-determination follow different rules.
Time limits
The deadline runs from the date on the decision notice, and the Planning Inspectorate does not extend it.
- Householder and minor commercial appeals: 12 weeks
- Most other planning appeals: 6 months
- Shorter where an enforcement notice has been served on the same development
Don’t wait until the last week. The earlier I see the refusal, the more options you have.
How I work
- Honest assessment. I read the decision notice, the officer’s report and the consultation responses, and tell you plainly whether to appeal, resubmit or stop.
- Strategy. If we go ahead, I identify the arguments most likely to persuade an Inspector and the procedure that suits your case.
- The appeal. I prepare and submit everything, deal with the Planning Inspectorate and the council, and keep you informed.
- Hearings and inquiries. I give evidence and present cases myself, and work with counsel where a case needs one.
- After the decision. I explain the outcome and what happens next, whichever way it goes.
Not refused yet?
Under the new rules the best time to protect your appeal position is before you submit. I can review an application before it goes in, so that if it is refused the case is already made.
Get in touch
Send me the decision notice and a few lines about the site. I’ll come back to you within one working day with a view on your options.
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