Planning appeals in Hammersmith & Fulham

When a refusal does happen

With so few refusals, one in this borough tells you something. Often the reason will be heritage, since the borough has 47 conservation areas, or a specific harm to a neighbour. The council holds 268 list entries and 15 Heritage at Risk Register entries within its boundary.

We read the report to see whether the officer's concern was something the drawings can answer. A refusal in a borough that approves at this rate usually means the scheme crossed a clear line, such as a rear extension too close to a boundary or a roof that changes a terrace's profile. That is useful, because clear lines can often be redrawn.

What changes the odds of a quick answer

A short, tidy application, with dimensioned plans and a clear heritage note, tends to move through a busy planning team faster than one that raises questions. If your case is already refused, the same discipline applies to a resubmission: answer every reason in the notice on the face of the drawings, so the case officer can see at a glance that each point has been dealt with.

We also advise on pre-application contact. A short written exchange with the case officer before you resubmit can confirm that the changed scheme resolves the objection, and it costs far less than a failed second application. If the officer will not engage, that tells you something about the chances of a quick decision and may point towards the appeal.

Who lives here, and what they build

Only 24.6 per cent of households live in a house, and 32.1 per cent own their home, so many appeals involve flats, maisonettes and mansion-block alterations. Domestic gardens cover 17.1 per cent of the land, so rear space is precious and neighbour amenity carries weight.

For flat owners, permitted development rights are limited, which makes the planning application the only route and the appeal the only remedy. We check the lease and the freeholder's position at the start, because both affect what is worth fighting for.

Choosing between appeal, reapplication and certificate

A householder appeal on written representations has a national median of 11.6 weeks, and the twelve-month median across written-representation appeals is 18 weeks. Given the council's high grant rate, a revised application is frequently the faster option after a refusal.

The borough handled 94 lawful development certificate applications in the latest return, so a Lawful Development Certificate is worth considering for work that meets permitted limits. Our planning drawings service produces the sets for a fresh application.

How we help

For a refusal we prepare a statement that deals with each reason, a coordinated drawing set and any sections the argument needs. For a delay we assemble the chronology and, where appropriate, the same bundle. A reviewer outside the drafting team checks both. The price is fixed after the free constraints check.

Read more under planning appeals, or browse architectural drawings in Hammersmith & Fulham. No one can promise how an inspector will rule.

Chasing a decision before you appeal

Before you appeal against delay, write to the case officer and ask for an extension in writing with a date. Agreed extensions count as decided in time, and a dated promise is more useful than an open wait. If the council refuses to commit, that refusal itself supports a non-determination appeal. Keep copies of every message, because the Inspectorate will want the chronology, and we will turn your records into a short timeline that sits at the front of the bundle.