Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will review the Fast Track Appeal Process used by the Planning Inspectorate to enable residents to engage with the appeal process.

The expedited written representations planning appeal procedure, first introduced in 2009, was recently expanded to a broader range of appeals so that all planning appeals against decisions on applications made on or after 1 April 2026 may be decided through the expedited appeal procedure.

This process requires that any representations submitted at the planning application stage, including by residents, will be sent to the Planning Inspectorate for consideration as part of the appeal.

If it becomes apparent during the appeal process that the expedited appeal procedure is no longer appropriate, the appeal may be transferred to an alternative appeal procedure.

My Department has no plans to review the recently expanded expedited written representations planning appeal procedure.