England-wide appeal evidence
Area character and appearance in planning appeals
Compare source-linked planning appeal decisions from across England where the Inspector’s main issue matched the fixed “Area character and appearance” evidence query, by an exact configured phrase or close semantic meaning.
This page compares planning appeal decisions. It is not a count of planning-application refusal reasons and does not predict what would happen in a different case.
- Matched decision families
- 16,236
- 16,266 appeal records represented
- Matched appeal records
- 16,266
- 5,214 allowed · 10,720 dismissed · 332 other
- Decision-text coverage
- 24,060 of 83,947
- 24,107 of 91,212 current appeal records
Local appeal evidence
Find evidence for your council or planning authority
Choose the council or planning authority that decided the application. Local pages are shown only where the published evidence snapshot meets the evidence and source checks.
Choose from 289 councils and planning authorities
- Adur District Council19 matched decision families
- Amber Valley Borough Council8 matched decision families
- Arun District Council24 matched decision families
- Ashfield District Council15 matched decision families
- Ashford Borough Council40 matched decision families
- Babergh District Council38 matched decision families
- Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council27 matched decision families
- Basildon Borough Council70 matched decision families
- Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council37 matched decision families
- Bassetlaw District Council23 matched decision families
- Bath and North East Somerset Council30 matched decision families
- Bedford Borough Council99 matched decision families
- Birmingham City Council125 matched decision families
- Blaby District Council14 matched decision families
- Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council16 matched decision families
- Blackpool Borough Council31 matched decision families
- Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council52 matched decision families
- Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk35 matched decision families
- Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council184 matched decision families
- Bracknell Forest Council22 matched decision families
- Braintree District Council57 matched decision families
- Breckland District Council21 matched decision families
- Brentwood Borough Council50 matched decision families
- Brighton and Hove City Council67 matched decision families
- Bristol City Council107 matched decision families
- Broadland District Council19 matched decision families
- Bromsgrove District Council30 matched decision families
- Broxbourne Borough Council31 matched decision families
- Broxtowe Borough Council18 matched decision families
- Buckinghamshire Council16 matched decision families
- Burnley Borough Council25 matched decision families
- Bury Metropolitan Borough Council22 matched decision families
- Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council56 matched decision families
- Cambridge City Council31 matched decision families
- Cannock Chase District Council9 matched decision families
- Canterbury City Council26 matched decision families
- Castle Point Borough Council46 matched decision families
- Central Bedfordshire Council96 matched decision families
- Charnwood Borough Council37 matched decision families
- Chelmsford City Council64 matched decision families
- Cheltenham Borough Council25 matched decision families
- Cherwell District Council52 matched decision families
- Cheshire East Council110 matched decision families
- Cheshire West and Chester Council114 matched decision families
- Chesterfield Borough Council15 matched decision families
- Chichester District Council40 matched decision families
- Chorley Borough Council13 matched decision families
- City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council126 matched decision families
- City of Westminster43 matched decision families
- City of Wolverhampton Council45 matched decision families
- City of York Council55 matched decision families
- Colchester City Council56 matched decision families
- Cornwall Council80 matched decision families
- Cotswold District Council30 matched decision families
- Coventry City Council88 matched decision families
- Crawley Borough Council40 matched decision families
- Cumberland Council10 matched decision families
- Dacorum Borough Council63 matched decision families
- Darlington Borough Council20 matched decision families
- Dartford Borough Council62 matched decision families
- Derby City Council24 matched decision families
- Derbyshire Dales District Council30 matched decision families
- Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council33 matched decision families
- Dorset Council89 matched decision families
- Dover District Council15 matched decision families
- Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council87 matched decision families
- Durham County Council39 matched decision families
- East Cambridgeshire District Council39 matched decision families
- East Devon District Council66 matched decision families
- East Hampshire District Council28 matched decision families
- East Hertfordshire District Council142 matched decision families
- East Lindsey District Council7 matched decision families
- East Riding of Yorkshire Council64 matched decision families
- East Staffordshire Borough Council23 matched decision families
- East Suffolk Council51 matched decision families
- Eastbourne Borough Council10 matched decision families
- Eastleigh Borough Council40 matched decision families
- Elmbridge Borough Council133 matched decision families
- Epping Forest District Council160 matched decision families
- Epsom and Ewell Borough Council47 matched decision families
- Erewash Borough Council10 matched decision families
- Exeter City Council48 matched decision families
- Fareham Borough Council19 matched decision families
- Fenland District Council11 matched decision families
- Folkestone and Hythe Council44 matched decision families
- Forest of Dean District Council8 matched decision families
- Fylde Borough Council18 matched decision families
- Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council12 matched decision families
- Gedling Borough Council24 matched decision families
- Gloucester City Council32 matched decision families
- Gosport Borough Council5 matched decision families
- Gravesham Borough Council109 matched decision families
- Great Yarmouth Borough Council11 matched decision families
- Guildford Borough Council112 matched decision families
- Halton Borough Council6 matched decision families
- Harborough District Council47 matched decision families
- Harlow District Council31 matched decision families
- Hart District Council57 matched decision families
- Hartlepool Borough Council12 matched decision families
- Hastings Borough Council17 matched decision families
- Havant Borough Council20 matched decision families
- Herefordshire Council23 matched decision families
- Hertsmere Borough Council64 matched decision families
- High Peak Borough Council37 matched decision families
- Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council23 matched decision families
- Horsham District Council29 matched decision families
- Hull City Council21 matched decision families
- Huntingdonshire District Council34 matched decision families
- Hyndburn Borough Council8 matched decision families
- Ipswich Borough Council17 matched decision families
- Isle of Wight Council46 matched decision families
- Kirklees Council128 matched decision families
- Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council8 matched decision families
- Lancaster City Council32 matched decision families
- Leeds City Council382 matched decision families
- Leicester City Council63 matched decision families
- Lewes District Council20 matched decision families
- Lichfield District Council13 matched decision families
- Liverpool City Council100 matched decision families
- London Borough of Barking and Dagenham111 matched decision families
- London Borough of Barnet376 matched decision families
- London Borough of Bexley95 matched decision families
- London Borough of Brent109 matched decision families
- London Borough of Bromley361 matched decision families
- London Borough of Camden66 matched decision families
- London Borough of Croydon178 matched decision families
- London Borough of Ealing120 matched decision families
- London Borough of Enfield142 matched decision families
- London Borough of Hackney145 matched decision families
- London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham73 matched decision families
- London Borough of Haringey76 matched decision families
- London Borough of Harrow197 matched decision families
- London Borough of Havering211 matched decision families
- London Borough of Hillingdon312 matched decision families
- London Borough of Hounslow212 matched decision families
- London Borough of Islington68 matched decision families
- London Borough of Lambeth120 matched decision families
- London Borough of Lewisham95 matched decision families
- London Borough of Merton69 matched decision families
- London Borough of Newham67 matched decision families
- London Borough of Redbridge142 matched decision families
- London Borough of Richmond upon Thames228 matched decision families
- London Borough of Southwark41 matched decision families
- London Borough of Sutton98 matched decision families
- London Borough of Tower Hamlets34 matched decision families
- London Borough of Waltham Forest98 matched decision families
- London Borough of Wandsworth111 matched decision families
- Luton Borough Council148 matched decision families
- Maidstone Borough Council84 matched decision families
- Maldon District Council80 matched decision families
- Malvern Hills District Council31 matched decision families
- Manchester City Council80 matched decision families
- Mansfield District Council6 matched decision families
- Medway Council33 matched decision families
- Melton Borough Council7 matched decision families
- Mid Devon District Council9 matched decision families
- Mid Suffolk District Council19 matched decision families
- Mid Sussex District Council62 matched decision families
- Middlesbrough Borough Council61 matched decision families
- Milton Keynes City Council32 matched decision families
- Mole Valley District Council74 matched decision families
- New Forest District Council36 matched decision families
- Newark and Sherwood District Council40 matched decision families
- Newcastle City Council30 matched decision families
- Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council8 matched decision families
- North Devon District Council23 matched decision families
- North East Derbyshire District Council20 matched decision families
- North East Lincolnshire Council8 matched decision families
- North Hertfordshire District Council22 matched decision families
- North Kesteven District Council8 matched decision families
- North Lincolnshire Council13 matched decision families
- North Norfolk District Council23 matched decision families
- North Northamptonshire Council63 matched decision families
- North Somerset Council34 matched decision families
- North Tyneside Council20 matched decision families
- North Warwickshire Borough Council7 matched decision families
- North West Leicestershire District Council15 matched decision families
- North Yorkshire Council72 matched decision families
- Northumberland County Council76 matched decision families
- Nottingham City Council22 matched decision families
- Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council10 matched decision families
- Oadby and Wigston Borough Council31 matched decision families
- Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council54 matched decision families
- Oxford City Council63 matched decision families
- Pendle Borough Council14 matched decision families
- Peterborough City Council30 matched decision families
- Plymouth City Council20 matched decision families
- Portsmouth City Council27 matched decision families
- Preston City Council13 matched decision families
- Reading Borough Council18 matched decision families
- Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council14 matched decision families
- Redditch Borough Council8 matched decision families
- Reigate and Banstead Borough Council73 matched decision families
- Ribble Valley Borough Council41 matched decision families
- Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council51 matched decision families
- Rochford District Council27 matched decision families
- Rossendale Borough Council29 matched decision families
- Rother District Council36 matched decision families
- Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council53 matched decision families
- Royal Borough of Greenwich231 matched decision families
- Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea73 matched decision families
- Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames107 matched decision families
- Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead117 matched decision families
- Rugby Borough Council23 matched decision families
- Runnymede Borough Council20 matched decision families
- Rushcliffe Borough Council33 matched decision families
- Rushmoor Borough Council6 matched decision families
- Rutland County Council15 matched decision families
- Salford City Council11 matched decision families
- Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council40 matched decision families
- Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council29 matched decision families
- Sevenoaks District Council44 matched decision families
- Sheffield City Council83 matched decision families
- Shropshire Council84 matched decision families
- Slough Borough Council63 matched decision families
- Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council50 matched decision families
- Somerset Council34 matched decision families
- South Cambridgeshire District Council58 matched decision families
- South Derbyshire District Council9 matched decision families
- South Gloucestershire Council99 matched decision families
- South Hams District Council65 matched decision families
- South Holland District Council32 matched decision families
- South Kesteven District Council34 matched decision families
- South Norfolk District Council25 matched decision families
- South Oxfordshire District Council35 matched decision families
- South Ribble Borough Council7 matched decision families
- South Staffordshire Council34 matched decision families
- South Tyneside Council12 matched decision families
- Southampton City Council31 matched decision families
- Southend-on-Sea Borough Council102 matched decision families
- Spelthorne Borough Council51 matched decision families
- St Albans City and District Council48 matched decision families
- St Helens Council22 matched decision families
- Stafford Borough Council36 matched decision families
- Staffordshire Moorlands District Council46 matched decision families
- Stevenage Borough Council7 matched decision families
- Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council33 matched decision families
- Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council26 matched decision families
- Stoke-on-Trent City Council17 matched decision families
- Stratford-on-Avon District Council42 matched decision families
- Stroud District Council84 matched decision families
- Sunderland City Council22 matched decision families
- Surrey Heath Borough Council80 matched decision families
- Swale Borough Council39 matched decision families
- Swindon Borough Council50 matched decision families
- Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council35 matched decision families
- Tandridge District Council74 matched decision families
- Teignbridge District Council60 matched decision families
- Telford & Wrekin Council23 matched decision families
- Tendring District Council38 matched decision families
- Test Valley Borough Council32 matched decision families
- Tewkesbury Borough Council33 matched decision families
- Thanet District Council26 matched decision families
- Three Rivers District Council74 matched decision families
- Thurrock Council83 matched decision families
- Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council29 matched decision families
- Torbay Council114 matched decision families
- Torridge District Council12 matched decision families
- Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council93 matched decision families
- Tunbridge Wells Borough Council23 matched decision families
- Uttlesford District Council60 matched decision families
- Vale of White Horse District Council26 matched decision families
- Wakefield Metropolitan District Council62 matched decision families
- Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council31 matched decision families
- Warrington Borough Council51 matched decision families
- Warwick District Council64 matched decision families
- Watford Borough Council67 matched decision families
- Waverley Borough Council38 matched decision families
- Wealden District Council65 matched decision families
- Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council75 matched decision families
- West Berkshire Council38 matched decision families
- West Devon Borough Council26 matched decision families
- West Lancashire Borough Council20 matched decision families
- West Lindsey District Council15 matched decision families
- West Northamptonshire Council60 matched decision families
- West Oxfordshire District Council40 matched decision families
- West Suffolk Council38 matched decision families
- Westmorland and Furness Council5 matched decision families
- Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council33 matched decision families
- Wiltshire Council76 matched decision families
- Winchester City Council21 matched decision families
- Wirral Borough Council40 matched decision families
- Woking Borough Council74 matched decision families
- Wokingham Borough Council37 matched decision families
- Worcester City Council20 matched decision families
- Worthing Borough Council13 matched decision families
- Wychavon District Council35 matched decision families
- Wyre Borough Council26 matched decision families
- Wyre Forest District Council16 matched decision families
Appeal evidence examples
Compare allowed and dismissed appeal reasoning
Each example separates the development, the Inspector-stated issue that selected it, and the reasoning from the decision. Compare the facts as well as the outcome: these examples do not predict how a different proposal would be decided.
Allowed appeal examples
2 examples
25 June 2026 · Allowed
Development described in the decision
described as ‘the re-development of garages on site between and part behind No 2 and [address], to provide 1 pair of semi-detached dwellings, each 3B5P, and 1No single storey(2B4P) dwelling at the rear, and private amenity spaces, and alterations to existing dropped kerb.’
Issue identified by the Inspector
The main issue in this appeal is the effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area.
Paragraph 6 · Source page 2
Reasoning from the decision
To conclude, for the reasons set out above, the scheme would result in harm to the character and appearance of the area. Given the small scale of the development, and the fact that the effect on the character and appearance would be relatively localised, I consider the degree of harm to be moderate. It would therefore be contrary to Policies 3, 4 and 37 of the London Borough of Bromley Local Plan (BLP) and Policies D3, D4 and H2 of the London Plan (LP). Collectively, amongst other things, these policies seek to ensure high quality design that respects the character, appearance and context of an area.
Paragraph 11 · Source pages 2, 3
30 April 2026 · Allowed
Development described in the decision
the erection of a detached three bay garage with usable loft space.
Issue identified by the Inspector
The main issue in this appeal is the effect on the character and appearance of the locality.
Paragraph 2 · Source page 2
Reasoning from the decision
For the reasons given above, I conclude that the development would not harm the character and appearance of the locality. As well as according with the SPD, there would be compliance with Maidstone Borough Council Local Plan Review 2021-2038 Policies LPRSP15 and LPRHOU2. Among other things and taken together, these intend that development should achieve a high quality of design with its scale, height, form, appearance and siting fitting unobtrusively with the existing building.
Paragraph 9 · Source page 2
Dismissed appeal examples
3 examples
29 June 2026 · Dismissed
Development described in the decision
the relocation of a garden wall with a timber fence and new low level retaining wall.
Issue identified by the Inspector
The main issue is the effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area.
Paragraph 3 · Source page 1
Reasoning from the decision
Consequently, the proposal would harm the character and appearance of the area. It would fail to comply with South Gloucestershire Local Plan: Core Strategy Policy CS1, and South Gloucestershire Local Plan: Policies, Sites and Places Plan Policies PSP1 and PSP38. These policies seek to ensure development respects its surroundings and the local distinctiveness of an area, amongst other things.
Paragraph 13 · Source page 2
19 June 2026 · Dismissed
Development described in the decision
retention of double garage – retrospective.
Issue identified by the Inspector
The main issue is the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the surrounding area.
Paragraph 4 · Source page 1
Reasoning from the decision
Based on the above, I find that the appeal development is harmful to the character and appearance of the surrounding area. It is therefore contrary to Policy LP26 of the Redbridge Local Plan (2018) and Policy D3 of the London Plan (2021), both of which in part seek for development to respond to the existing character of a place, including in terms of its form and use of materials.
Paragraph 10 · Source page 2
12 June 2026 · Dismissed
Development described in the decision
the change of use of amenity land to garden and installation of a new fence to site boundary.
Issue identified by the Inspector
The main issue is the effect of the appeal development on the character and appearance of the area.
Paragraph 4 · Source page 1
Reasoning from the decision
The removal of the grass strip combined with the erection of the obtrusive fence and introduction of hardstanding has unacceptably eroded the verdant qualities of the street scene, to the detriment of its character and appearance. Given the siting of the fence, there is limited scope to introduce meaningful replacement planting in front of it that would either positively contribute to the verdant character of the site’s surroundings or effectively soften its intrusive form. The prominent location of the site on a main thoroughfare means that the discordant and obtrusive nature of the proposal is readily visible to passers-by and neighbouring occupants.
Paragraph 9 · Source page 2