Decision tool · Pro · London-wide
Should you appeal?
A refusal in London. The applicant appeals to the Planning Inspectorate. The route, inspector and facts of the scheme all matter. This page gives context from 10,156 published London decisions; it does not predict an individual appeal.
London baseline · all routes
26%
of appeals allowed
2,666 allowed and 7,240 dismissed, across 10,156 Planning Inspectorate decisions in London. The remaining 250 have another recorded outcome, such as split or withdrawn.
By appeal route
Written representations, inquiry, and hearing routes have different odds.
Written representations
Decided on the papers after a site visit — the default route, fastest.
26%
9177 cases
97%
Hearings
A round-table discussion led by the inspector; suits disputes of judgement.
39%
209 cases
2%
Inquiries
Formal cross-examination — major schemes and costs risk live here.
59%
110 cases
1%
Your odds depend on
- Which inspector is assigned, using a sufficiently large comparable case history
- The route (written representations, inquiry, or hearing)
- Your borough (some are harder appeals than others)
- The development type (house extensions have different odds than major schemes)
- The substantive argument (which policies, which precedent you cite)
Related — follow the thread
Sources & method
Counts and route rates come from the current London Planning Inspectorate appeal archive. Allow rate is allowed ÷ all recorded appeal decisions. Route comparisons are descriptive: inquiry and hearing cases differ systematically from written representations, so the route rate alone is not a causal estimate or a prediction for a new case.