Research finds significant variation in planning decisions being overturned after council refusal

Consultancy Gapsense, which applied artificial intelligence to planning decisions, said it analysed 70,942 planning appeals decided by the Planning Inspectorate between 2021 and 2025.

Nearly one third of refusals taken to appeal had been overturned - but these ranged from 46.7% at Broxtowe to only 13.5% at North Kesteven, among 284 councils for which there was enough statistically significant data.

It said that nationally 31.1% of refusals were overturned, with this happening far more often to those taken to a hearing or inquiry than those decided on the papers.

Appeals taken to inquiries were overturned in 63.7% of cases but only 46.1% for hearings and 30.0% for written representations.

Mark Smulian