Rulebook · Time limit

Council's decision after the review

The council must decide whether to keep the plan as it is, amend it or stop maintaining it, and tell you. If it proposes to amend, the High Court has held that this notice must set out the proposed amendments (R (L) v Devon).

How it is counted

Within 4 weeks of the review meeting: the same day of the week, 4 weeks later.

Whose date it is

The council

What starts it

The annual review meeting (held or planned)

What counts as done

The council told the family its decision after the review (keep, amend or stop the plan), or The council sent proposed amendments to the plan, or The council told the family it has decided to stop maintaining the plan, or The council sent written notice of a decision that can be appealed

Type of rule

Law (Act or Regulations)

Rule id

review_decision

Rules version

england-2026.10

Law as at

30 September 2026

If the date passes

The plan stays as it is until the council decides. With no decision there is nothing to appeal to the Tribunal, so the routes are a complaint, the Ombudsman or judicial review.

Steps people often take:

• Write to the council's SEN team, say which time limit has passed, and ask when it will be done.
• Make a formal complaint through the council's complaints process.
• If that does not resolve it, complain to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, which looks at delay.
• For serious delay, a solicitor can send a pre-action letter before a judicial review claim, which must be brought promptly and within 3 months.

Your own deadlines do not change because the council is late.

Sources

• SEND Regulations 2014, reg 20(10)Law (Act or Regulations)
• SEND Regulations 2014, reg 21(9)Law (Act or Regulations)
• R (L) v Devon County Council [2022] EWHC 493 (Admin)Case law, to verifyStill to confirm the citation, the holding, that the decision has not been overturned on appeal, and that it is treated as binding on the First-tier Tribunal.

Work out your dates

The whole rulebook