What the Rescue Plan contains
A refusal notice tells you the council said no. It rarely tells you why in a way you can act on. The Rescue Plan is the document that does. It sets out, in plain English, what the officer actually objected to and which policy each objection rests on; where the submitted drawings or statements left that objection unanswered; what comparable schemes the same council has approved or refused, and what inspectors have said on appeal about that policy; every route still open to you, with its deadline, its cost, its timescale and our honest view of the odds; and the route we recommend, with a fixed fee to carry it out.
It is written to be read by you, and to be handed to a lender, a buyer, a builder or a solicitor if you need to show them where the project stands.
The routes we weigh
A revised resubmission. The most common answer. The scheme is redrawn to remove the reasons for refusal, with a covering statement that shows the officer exactly how each one has been met. Since December 2023 the council charges a new application fee for a resubmission; there is no longer a free second attempt.
A householder appeal. Lodged with the Planning Inspectorate within 12 weeks of the decision, decided by written representations, usually within four to six months. There is no fee to appeal. It is the right route when the decision misapplied policy or ignored precedent, and the wrong one when the scheme simply asked for too much.
A retrospective application. Under Section 73A, for works already carried out. Judged on the same policies as if the works had not been built, so the case has to be made on merit, not on the fact that it exists.
Varying or removing conditions. A Section 73 application to change a condition that makes the approved scheme unworkable, or a non-material amendment, decided within 28 days, where the change is small.
A certificate of lawfulness for existing works. Where the works have been in place long enough to be immune from enforcement, the certificate is the proof a buyer’s solicitor will accept.
Responding to enforcement. An appeal against the notice on one or more of the statutory grounds, a retrospective application, or negotiated compliance. The right choice depends on the notice, the works and the evidence, and on how many days are left.
When the honest answer is to move on
Some schemes cannot be rescued at a cost that makes sense. A rear extension that breaches a daylight test by a wide margin, a loft that a conservation area policy plainly excludes, a conversion that the council has refused three times on the same ground. When that is the position, the Rescue Plan says so, explains why, and sets out the least costly way forward: a smaller scheme that would pass, a different route to the same space, or stopping before more money is spent. We would rather lose the second instruction than watch you pay for an appeal we do not believe in.
Enforcement: the clock is running
An enforcement notice takes effect on the date it states, no sooner than 28 days after it is issued. An appeal lodged before that date suspends the notice; one lodged after it is out of time and the notice stands. If you are holding one, send it today. We confirm the effective date and the compliance period the same working day, before the review begins.
