Accountability · Free · London-wide
When committees overrule their own officers.
Planning officers assess applications against policy and make recommendations. Elected committees can vote the other way. This record tracks the overrides found in published minutes and the appeal outcomes that could be matched back to them.
Overturned on appeal, by borough
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Click a borough to isolate its record. Showing all London.
⚠ “Against officer advice” and per-case vote counts below are unverified — pending re-extraction of the underlying committee-minutes fields.
All Londoncommittee overrides of planning officers
502
refused against officer advice
officers said approve, members said no
168
overturned on appeal
committee refusal did not survive appeal
81
wrong on both counts
against officer advice AND lost the appeal
15
with costs awarded against the council
public money paid out
Overrides recorded by year — across London
Officer-recommended approvals refused by members, per year
2016 · 92025 · 70
The cost to the public — two separate bills
What they spend defending
Councils' own legal fees fighting appeals
£50m+
public money on appeals · England · 3 years
£45k/yr per council on average · ≈£1.5m/yr across London's 33 boroughs
Home Builders Federation (FOI) ↗What they're ordered to pay out
Costs awarded against them for unreasonable refusals
£12m
paid out nationally · 2010–16 · £2.3m across London (major schemes)
Awarded only for unreasonable behaviour (e.g. refusing against officer advice without substantiated reasons). PINS decides the award; the £ is assessed privately and never published — borough totals require FOI.
Where members overrule and lose
Committee refusals overturned on appeal, by borough. Click a row to isolate it on the map and stats above.
The overrides that cost money
Officer-recommended approvals, refused by members, then overturned at appeal. 47 reference-confirmed; the rest matched by site.
21/04705/FUL
Croydon · 5–5
18 Brambledown Road, South Croydon, CR2 0BL. Demolition of existing dwelling and erection of a three-storey building with roof accommodation comprising 7 flats, provision of new access and crossover, 5 parking spaces, refuse
Appeal allowed
+ costs awarded
25/00112/FUL
Croydon · 1–5
10 Woodstock Road, Croydon, CR0 1JR. Change of use from single dwelling (C3) to 7-bedroom, 8-person House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) including Velux windows and demolition of conservatory.
Appeal allowed
+ costs awarded
S050
Kensington & Chelsea · 2–3
1 Cranley Mews, SW7 3BX. Approval of discharge of Condition 4 (Construction Traffic Management Plan) of planning permission PP/22/05677
Appeal allowed
+ costs awarded
DM2022/01386
Sutton · 6–3
Land at Woodcote Green Garden Centre 4A Woodmansterne Lane Wallington SM6 0SU. Demolition of existing structures and erection of a 70-bed specialist neurological nursing home (Use Class C2) with associated access, parking and landscaping.
Appeal allowed
+ costs awarded
20/00693/FULL6
Bromley · 9–0
10 Derwent Drive, Petts Wood, Orpington, BR5 1EW. Single storey side/rear extensions, conversion of garage to habitable room, enlargement of existing porch entrance, and enlargement of roofspace incorporating hip to gable extensio
Appeal allowed
+ costs awarded
2017/02065/FUL
Hammersmith & Fulham · 9–0
12 and 14 Wellesley Avenue, London, W6 0UP. High quality design development proposal with amended drawings
Appeal allowed
+ costs awarded
2017/02717/FUL
Hammersmith & Fulham · 4–5
The Triangle (5-17 Hammersmith Grove) And Britannia House (1-11 Glenthorne Road), 3 And 3A Hammersmith Grove And 12-18 Beadon Road, Hammersmith W6 0LH, Hammersmith Broadway. Full planning application for development involving loss of building of merit at 3 Hammersmith Grove
Appeal allowed
+ costs awarded
98/02500/RECON
Bromley · 9–0
Yew House Barnet Wood Road Hayes Bromley BR2 8HJ. Minor material amendment under Section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to remove condition 11 to permit restoration of permitted development rights.
Appeal allowed
refusal overturned
Related — follow the thread
Sources & method
Committee decisions vs officer recommendations from published committee minutes; appeal outcomes + costs from Planning Inspectorate decision letters, joined by application reference (confirmed) or site postcode (likely). The per-case £ of a costs award is never published by PINS — it is assessed privately — so the cost figures are cited FOI research (HBF; Architects' Journal, Local Government Lawyer, GOV.UK). Borough-level payout totals require FOI to each council.