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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his policy is on planning appeal costs being awarded against a district council when that appeal has been dismissed.

All parties in planning appeals normally meet their own expenses. They are expected to behave reasonably to support an efficient and timely process, for example in providing all the required evidence and ensuring that timetables are met. Where a party has behaved unreasonably, and this has directly caused another party to incur unnecessary or wasted expense in the appeal process, they may be subject to an award of costs. A party applying for costs may have costs awarded against them, if they themselves have behaved unreasonably. It is a matter for the Planning Inspector, or the Secretary of State if a recovered decision, to determine applications for costs on a case-by-case basis.