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Planning - appeals & reviews

Appeals and Reviews

What are appeals and reviews for?

If an applicant is aggrieved by:

  • their application having been refused
  • their application having been granting subject to conditions to which they object to or
  • their application having not been determined within the statutory time period for determination ('non determination').

They have a right to challenge the decision, or to have the application determined by a higher authority.

Depending upon the type and nature of the application, this challenge will be either

  • an appeal to the Scottish Ministers or
  • a review of the decision by the West Dunbartonshire Local Review Body.

Please note as of 9 June 2025 this incurs a fee, further details regarding this can be found on the Scottish Government website The Town and Country Planning (Fees for Local Reviews) (Scotland) Regulations 2025

Time limits for appeals and reviews

Please note that there are strict time limits for the submission of appeals and reviews.  For planning permission applications (i.e. full planning permission, planning permission in principle or approval of matters specified in conditions), these must be submitted to the appropriate body within 3 months of the date of the decision, or of the expiry of the statutory time period for determination in the case of non-determination.  For other types of application, the time limit for submitting appeals is 6 months.

Appeal or Review?

Planning decision notices include a guidance note explaining the appeal or review procedure which is applicable to that decision.  If you are unsure you should contact Development Management for advice.

For planning applications (full planning permission, permission in principle or approval of matters specified in conditions) which have been determined by the appointed officer under delegated powers, or for applications which have not been determined within the statutory time period for determination where the intended decision route was to be determined by the appointed officer, the procedure is to seek a review of the decision by the West Dunbartonshire Local Review Body. 

For planning applications which have been determined by the Planning Committee or by the Full Council, and for all applications for other types of consent (such as advertisement consent, listed building consent, conservation area consent and hazardous substance consent), or for applications which have not been determined within the statutory time period for determination and the intended decision route was to be  determined by the Planning Committee, the appropriate procedure is to appeal to the Scottish Ministers. Appeal forms and advice on the appeal procedure can be obtained from the  Scottish Government Department for Environmental Appeals (DPEA).

Telephone: 0300 244 6668
E-mail: dpea@gov.scot
Web: https://beta.gov.scot/policies/planning-environmental-appeals/

Review Procedures

Notice of Review forms and guidance can be obtained and submitted to us from the Scottish Government ePlanning portal

Appeal Procedures

Appeal forms and guidance can be obtained from the Scottish Government ePlanning portal or from the following address.  Appeals may be submitted either in writing or electronically:   

Planning and Environmental Appeals Division
Hadrian House
Callendar Business Park
Falkirk
FK1 1XR


Telephone: 0300 244 6668
E-mail: dpea@gov.scot
Web: https://beta.gov.scot/policies/planning-environmental-appeals/