It is always difficult when a proposal you have been working on with a client is rejected by the planning department. That of course doesn't have to be the end of the matter.
There is a right of appeal via the Planning Inspectorate who are independent of the council. It is not a quick process and can take many months but it is the only way of fully testing a proposal if it is refused by the council. In this instance RCC recommended the appeal route to our client and we proceeded to put forward a robust case that we felt could challenge the council's decision.
We were delighted when the appeal decision came through with the Planning Inspector accepting our case and allowing the appeal.