Planning appeal search
Data as of 6 November 2026
We hold more than 200,000 planning appeal decision letters from the appeals bodies of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and older letters that councils published with the applications they concern. Each one is read, so you can search them by what the inspector decided and why, not only by case number.
What each appeals body has given us
| Appeals body | Appeals decided | Letters read |
|---|---|---|
| Planning InspectorateEngland | 180,000 | 170,000 |
| Planning and Environment Decisions WalesWales | 2,400 | 2,100 |
| Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (Scottish Government)Scotland | 26,000 | 15,000 |
| Planning Appeals CommissionNorthern Ireland | 13,000 | 10,000 |
What you can find
- Passages where inspectors weighed the issue you are arguing, in their own words, with a link to the letter.
- Appeals by council, by type, by procedure (written representations, hearing or inquiry) and by outcome.
- Appeal sites inside a conservation area, or a named one, in England.
- How often a council’s refusals were allowed on appeal, and the planning application each appeal concerns.
An example, read live
We asked for planning appeals on “change of use of a shop to a flat and the loss of a town centre use”. The closest passages from the inspectors’ reasons:
-
Kirklees Metropolitan Council · Dismissed, 2025 · …the proposed change of use of retail space to one bed flat
“…different uses nearby, including residential within both the appeal property and the adjoining property, and the support offered by part of the development plan for residential uses in the town centre, I am not persuaded that this would set an…”
The decision letter -
North Hertfordshire District Council · Allowed, 2025 · …conversion of part ground floor from commercial use (Class E) to residential use to create a single dwelling
“…has a bustle even with the appeal site being vacant and not in active retail/commercial use, albeit my visit was a snap shot in time. 19. I am satisfied, from the evidence and my observations, that changing the use of…”
The decision letter -
Hastings Borough Council · Dismissed, 2019 · …change of use of upper ground floor to one bedroom flat from office
“…viability and vitality of the neighbouring retail offering but the town centre more generally by denuding the character and attractiveness of this shopping frontage. 11. Furthermore, as outlined above the balance of A1 uses and non-A1 uses is in any…”
The decision letter
The latest planning appeal decisions
| Stoke-on-Trent City CouncilWritten representation (Part 1) | Dismissed | 5 November 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| London Borough of Hammersmith and FulhamWritten representation (Part 1) | Dismissed | 5 November 2026 |
| Birmingham City CouncilWritten Representations | Dismissed | 5 November 2026 |
| Middlesbrough CouncilWritten Representations | Dismissed | 4 November 2026 |
| London Borough of HarrowWritten Representations | Dismissed | 4 November 2026 |
Householder appeals are counted but never shown, quoted or linked here, because their letters name a home. How we count: methodology. The appeals body’s own copy of each letter is the record.