Your planning refusal · application

Planning application refused?

Know your options. Get a second look.

Not sure whether to appeal, revise your plans or try another approach? Get an impartial assessment of your planning refusal, which route makes the most sense, and exactly what to change to give your plans the best chance of approval.

£99 incl. VAT, credited if we redesignHuman-reviewed2 working days
Get my Refusal Check · £99 View how it works
Evidence-based Impartial No obligation to use further services

Sample extracts from a full report

2ndLookIllustrative example, not a real case
Refusal CheckTwo-storey rear extensionTerraced house · Not in a conservation area
2reasons for refusal
6nearby decisions compared
4policies checked at source
Recommended routeRedesign and reapply
ConfidenceMedium

All four routes, compared

RedesignStrong · answers both refusal reasons
CertifyPartial · a 3 m single storey only
AppealWeak · would rely on evidence the council never saw
StopNot needed · a workable route exists

Ratings are our professional judgement, not calculated odds.

What the officer accepted

MaterialsRear dormerRoof form
Rules and figures vary by council and caseReviewed and approved before delivery
How it works

Three steps, no meetings

1

Tell us your application

Your reference or address, your email and what you hoped to build. Upload documents if you have them; we can find most on the council's website.

2

We look closely

The full application file (drawings, officer's report and comments), the refusal reasons, your site's history, the policies behind the decision and similar decisions nearby. Your photos help too.

3

You get a clear answer

The route we'd take and why, plus the specific changes that answer each refusal reason, ready to hand to your designer. Reviewed and approved within two working days.

Appeals changed in April 2026

For applications made on or after 1 April 2026, most appeals are decided on what the council already saw, and new evidence normally can't be added. Check before you lodge one.

Why trust 2ndLook

Thoroughly researched. Professionally reviewed.

Original sources

Council decisions, officer reports and policies checked at source, not summarised second-hand.

Relevant precedents

Your site's past applications and similar decisions nearby, and what makes them relevant or not.

Human-reviewed

A person checks the findings, the route and your deadline, and approves every report.

Clear, impartial advice

A confidence level on every recommendation, and plain words on what is uncertain and why.

Every Refusal Check combines AI-assisted research with human review. A person checks each refusal reason against the decision notice, the recommended route against the officer's report and your site's history, and your appeal deadline. Nothing is sent until it has been approved.

2ndLook is operated by Novispace Ltd. Questions? [contact email]

Order

Ready in a couple of minutes

No account needed. You'll be asked for:

  • Your application reference or the property address
  • Your email, and what you were hoping to build
  • Any documents you have, and a few photos of the front and back of your home (optional, but they help)
  • Card payment, securely by Stripe
Refusal Check £99including VAT

Credited in full if you then ask us to redesign your plans within 3 months.

Currently covers refused applications for houses and flats in Brent, Camden, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster. A few quick questions confirm your case fits before you pay.

Within 2 working days of having everything we need, when you ask us to start straight away. If we miss the agreed date, you choose a new date or a full refund.
Start my Refusal Check

Your report is professional guidance, not a guarantee of any planning outcome. By ordering you agree to our terms.

You can ask us to start straight away. If you cancel within 14 days, before your report is delivered, we refund you less a fair amount for work already done. See our terms.

Your possible options

Four routes, one recommendation

Not sure which route is right for you? Get an evidence-based recommendation for your planning refusal, human-reviewed, for £99.

Get my Refusal Check · £99

Every recommendation carries a confidence level, High, Medium or Low. We never rate a route High without the officer's report and your site's full history.

Questions

Good to know

Should I just appeal straight away?

Not before checking. For applications made on or after 1 April 2026, most appeals are decided on what the council already saw, so a weak case can't be strengthened later. Sometimes redesigning or a certificate route gets you built sooner.

When is my appeal deadline?

For most householder refusals it is 12 weeks from the decision date, and for a flat it is usually 6 months. Other rules apply in some cases, for example where an enforcement notice has been served. We confirm your exact deadline in your report.

Is this legal advice?

No. It's a professional planning review of your refusal against the published policies and decisions. We don't act as your agent with the council, and the review doesn't cover building regulations, party walls or legal title. For questions about ownership, leases or contracts, speak to a solicitor. Read the important information.

Do you use AI?

Yes, to gather policies and similar decisions quickly. A person reviews the findings, the recommended route and your deadline, and approves every report.

Can you promise an appeal will succeed?

No one honestly can. We'll tell you how strong your case looks, how confident we are and why.

Do you offer help after the report?

Optionally. Novispace Ltd, which runs 2ndLook, offers appeal submission support from £199 (£50 of your check credited if you instruct within 3 months) and redesign and reapplication from £1,995 (£99 credited if you instruct within 3 months), prices including VAT. You're never obliged to use them: your report includes a brief any designer can use, and the reviewer earns nothing extra from whichever route we recommend.

Which areas do you cover?

For now, applications for alterations or extensions to a house or flat in Brent, Camden, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster.

How did you get my address?

From the council's public planning register. We send one letter only. If you're not the owner or applicant, please pass it on. To stop any further letters, use the link at the bottom of this page and we'll add your address to our do-not-mail list.

Before you spend more, know your options.

A planning refusal can be frustrating, stressful and time-consuming. But it doesn't always mean starting again.

Before you commit more money, time and energy to redesigns, appeals or another application, get a clear assessment of your options. For £99, 2ndLook helps you make an informed decision, and could save you thousands of pounds, weeks of time and unnecessary stress.

Get my Refusal Check · £99

£99 including VAT · 2 working days · Human-reviewed