You must submit your appeal to the Planning Inspectorate within six months of council's decision or, if one has not been given, six months from the date the decision should have been made.
Please note that there is no third party right of appeal against a decision – only the applicant or their agent can appeal against a decision.
Whilst appeals allow the applicant to have their case determined by an independent inspector appointed by the Secretary of State, they are intended to be used as amatter of 'last resort'. Depending on the process taken they can take several months to decide. It may therefore be better to discuss whether changes to your proposal would make it acceptable.
There is no charge for making an appeal but you will inevitably incur some expenses depending on the procedure followed, the complexity of the case and any professional or legal advice you seek.
You may be able to apply for costs in an inquiry or hearing if the other parties have or can be shown to have acted unreasonably and it can be shown that the costs incurred were unnecessary. Costs are not awarded on the basis of who is successful or not in the appeal. Cost awards are explained in the booklet "Costs Awards in Planning Appeals: A Guide for Appellants".
Details about appeals that have been considered or are under consideration can be found using our Search pages or from the Planning Portal Planning Casework Service.