The Planning Inspectorate confirmed that only 4% of planning applications are appealed nationally and most decisions are made locally, according to research by the local paper the Coulsdon and Purley Advertiser.
The research focussed on planning applications in Coulsdon and Purley in south London. Of the 123 appeals that were decided since 2009 by a Planning Inspector, 88 (75%) of the appeals were dismissed. "The majority of decisions are made locally", a spokesman said according to the report.
"In determining an appeal, an inspector will always remain impartial...They will decide the appeal based on the evidence placed before them, in writing or orally," the spokesman said.
In Coulsdon and Old Coulsdon, of the 58 planning appeals decided since 2009, the Planning Inspectors agreed with the Council and dismissed the appeals in 43 cases. In Purley, of the 65 appeals decided since 2009, the Inspector dismissed 45 of the cases.
Each figure includes a mix of large-scale developments and householders' appeals for extensions, conversions and garages, the report said.
"Ultimately, with a lot of objections, the profile of the development increases, and then it goes to the political arena of the planning committee," said a local planning consultant, according to the report. "The Planning Inspectorate is an opportunity to re-inject some professional, dispassionate judgment."
