Guidance

Appeal a discontinuance notice

How to appeal a discontinuance notice

• From: Planning Inspectorate
• Published: 16 April 2026
• Last updated: 22 May 2026 — See all updates

Applies to England

When you can appeal 

Your local planning authority may send you a discontinuance notice about displaying an advertisement or sign on your house or building. 

You can appeal against a discontinuance notice if you own, rent or lawfully occupy the property or land it applies to. 

Before you make your appeal, you should enter into discussions with the local planning authority. We encourage you to continue these discussions, during the appeal. This will help to narrow the areas in dispute. You should make your appeal only when all else has failed. 

Anyone can comment on an appeal. 

There’s no fee for appealing. 

Deadline for appealing 

Your appeal and required documents must reach the Planning Inspectorate before the effective date on the notice.

How to appeal 

Fill in a discontinuance notice appeal form.

Discontinuance notice appeal form

ODT, 621 KB

This file is in an OpenDocument format

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email corpcomms@planninginspectorate.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

 

You also need: 

• your discontinuance notice  

Where available, you can also submit:  

• changes to the discontinuance notice  
• other relevant correspondence with the local planning authority

The completed form and supporting documents will need to be sent by email to:  ecat@planninginspectorate.gov.uk

Documents you will need: 

• your discontinuance notice.  

If you have any of the following documents you can submit: 

• changes to the discontinuance notice 
• other relevant correspondence with the local planning authority 

Preparing your documents 

You can submit the documents as any of these file types: 

• DOC or DOCX 
• JPG or JPEG 
• PDF 
• PNG 
• TIF or TIFF 

Make sure all documents are fully readable without any redacted text. 

Contact the Planning Inspectorate 

Online 

You can ask a question or make a complaint online. 

By phone 

Planning Inspectorate customer support team Telephone: 0303 444 5000 Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm (except public holidays) Find out about call charges

Published 16 April 2026

Last updated 22 May 2026 + show all updates

1. 22 May 2026

   Appeal form added

2. 16 April 2026

   First published.