The Directorate is responsible for dealing with planning and related appeals in Scotland. A reporter appointed by the Scottish Ministers decides most appeals. These are called "delegated" appeals. In a small number of cases the reporter does not issue the decision, but submits a report with a recommendation to the Scottish Ministers. These are called "non-delegated", or recalled, appeals.
The appeal procedures depend both on the type of appeal and on the matters raised in the appeal. We will always keep you informed of what will happen, and what might be expected of you, when you have an appeal with us. You can also contact us to discuss this before you make an appeal.
In all types of appeal, there will be a deadline by which you will need to get your appeal to us. You can normally find out the deadline from the decision notice, correspondence or any other notice you may have received from the planning authority - i.e. the local council (or national park authority) for the area. But if you want to make an appeal to us and are unsure of the deadline, you should check with the planning authority which dealt with your application or served the notice on you.
Planning Permission - Appeal or Local Review?
Where you have made an application for planning permission and want to challenge the terms of the planning authority's decision (or where no decision has been made within the set timescale), you will have a right to either appeal to Scottish Ministers or request a review by the planning authority's local review body. Only one of these options will be available to you; which depends on the circumstances of your application. The option available to you will normally be explained in correspondence and the decision you have received from the planning authority.
Submission of an Appeal
Appeals may be submitted through the ePlanning Online Appeals and Applications system; or by e-mail, post or fax. Please click on submit and appeal to find out more.
E-Publishing and Appeals Search 
We are now publishing all correspondence in connection with live appeals on our dedicated case information website. To go directly to the site click on the Search graphic but for detailed information on what you can, and cannot, expect to find on the dedicated site and an overview of the site itself go first to our View cases page. If you are concerned about what may be published on the site DPEA Guide to Data Protection provides information on our publishing policy.
Environmental Appeals
As well as responsibility for the above, we also now have responsibility for Environmental Appeals. Click here for information on Environmental Appeals.