The Planning Inspectorate- Wales

Cost Awards in Planning Appeals

Q17 If my application for costs succeeds, will all my appeal expenses be paid?

No. The amount of costs will depend on what unnecessary expense you have incurred in relation to the inquiry or hearing (or written representations proceedings in the exceptional cases mentioned in Q3). For example, you might be awarded costs because the local planning authority failed to produce any evidence to substantiate only one of several reasons they gave for refusing planning permission. Your award would then be limited to the costs of contesting that reason. Similarly, where an unnecessary adjournment of the inquiry is caused by the unreasonable conduct of one of the parties, the award of costs will be limited to the extra costs incurred by the other party as a result of the adjournment. Where the application succeeds, the decision letter will state the extent to which costs are awarded to the successful party.