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Comparison of success rates for planning appeals in the West Midlands

There is significant variability across the local planning authorities in the West Midlands in their performance in defending planning appeals.  Appeal finder's comparison tables for 2019-20 and the previous year 2018-19 are below, revealing some uncomfortable truths about the likelihood of success for s78 planning appeals for appellants and local planning authorities alike.
For householder appeals please see the very bottom of the page.

LPAs with the highest and lowest planning appeal success rates

The LPAs with the best records for successfully defending their s78 appeals in 2019/20 in the West Midlands were the Malvern Hills, Herefordshire, Coventry and Cannock Chase, with 15% or less of their appeals overturned/ allowed by the Planning Inspectorate.

At the bottom of the league table this year in the West Midlands were Nuneaton & Bedworth, Wolverhampton and Tamworth with 50% or more of their appeals allowed, significantly higher than the national average of 24%.

Change in planning appeal success rates over time

A comparison with the Planning Inspectorate's data for the previous year 2018-19 shows a significant improvement for some local planning authorities and a decline for others. For example, Rugby improved their performance from 33% of appeals allowed in 2018/19 to 23% allowed in 2019/20, no doubt linked to the adoption of their new Local Plan in June 2019.  In the opposite direction was Wyre Forest, with 0% appeals allowed in 2018/19 followed by 42% allowed in 2019/20, again no doubt due to work on their Local Plan which was adopted in April 2020, too late to influence the 2019/20 financial year.

Change over time can reflect one or more of the following factors:
    • progress of a Local Plan;
    • change in five year housing land supply position;
    • LPAs granting permission more readily after experiencing a previous swathe of appeals (behaviour adjustment);
    • planning Inspectors being less inclined to allow an appeal due to individuals’ working styles and PINS guidance;
    • statistical variance or a small number of appeals.

Householder appeals

Householder appeal rates for 2019/20 and a comparison with the previous year 2018/19 are below:

To find appeals that are relevant to you, use the search on our Home page.

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