New Rules for Streamlined Planning Appeals

New rules for all planning appeals relating to planning applications submitted on or after 1st April 2026

The planning appeals system is changing. More appeals are to be decided
more quickly.

The Planning Inspectorate’s new Procedural Guide for appeals relating to
applications submitted on or after 1st April 2026 changes the rules, including that:

• Most planning appeals will proceed under a ‘part 1’ written representations procedure, unless the Planning Inspectorate decides otherwise.
• There is no opportunity to submit a statement of case with written reps appeals. Part 1 appeals will generally be determined on the basis of the information submitted to the local planning authority (LPA) when they determined the application.

The Inspector will only consider:

– The application that the LPA determined (including the plans, submitted evidence and third-party comments).

– The decision notice.

– The LPA’s committee minutes and planning officer report.

– The appeal form, and

– The LPA’s appeal questionnaire.

• With limited exceptions no additional evidence will accepted at appeal.
• The exceptions include material changes in policy.Amendments to the scheme will not usually be considered once an appeal
• has been made following the part 1 procedure.
• Interested people (sometimes called ‘third parties’) are not able to submit comments at the appeal stage in the part 1 procedure.
• Appeals following the part 1 written reps procedure should include an executed and certified copy of a planning obligation (section 106) at the time the appeal is made.

The Planning Inspectorate advises that “Applicants should ensure that all relevant evidence is submitted to the LPA as part of their application”. So, front-loading applications and early engagement with LPAs and consultees is becoming even more important. Appeal strategies should be considered much earlier. 

An appellant can still request an inquiry or hearing, but with a busy Planning Inspectorate case load and the potential for more appeals to be pushed down the written reps route, it’s less certain that these options will be as available as they
have been.

In summary, it is more important than ever that submitted planning applications are complete and robust. There is a need prepare and submit applications with an eye
on being ‘appeal-ready’. 

Appeal stage won’t be an opportunity to further develop planning case arguments, so the planning supporting statement needs to be comprehensive. Has the scheme designer fully explained the design rationale and are all scheme visualisations available? Have all issues raised by third parties been responded to? There may be a need to more frequently involve counsel early before the submission of applications for larger or more controversial schemes.