Planning Fee increase on way

On 13th January, the Government tabled a statutory instrument that will increase the fees payable for a wide range of applications, including those for householder development, prior approval and discharging planning conditions, from 1 April. In the accompanying explanatory memorandum, the Government confirms that the increases are following feedback from local councils which indicates that these fees are significantly lower than the actual cost of determining the applications

The proposed changes include a 105% increase on planning applications for householder development from £258 to £528. Planning application fees for applications “for the enlargement, improvement or other alteration of two or more dwellinghouses” will also increase from £509 to £1,043. However, the accompanying explanatory memorandum confirms that the fee of £258 for householder developments related to small-scale operations within the curtilage of a dwellinghouse such as the construction of gates, fences, and walls “will remain unchanged as these applications typically involve less complex considerations”.

Prior approval notification fees will also increase, being doubled for those that do not involve building operations (£120 to £240) and for those involving building operations, from £258 to £516. Meanwhile, the fee for prior approvals relating to the change of use of commercial, business and service uses to residential would go up from £125 per dwellinghouse to £250 per dwellinghouse.  However, the fees for prior approvals related to the construction of new dwellinghouses are not changing and remain at £418 per house.

Applications for discharge of planning conditions will be increased from £43 to £145 for householders and from £145 to £229 for any other development. Fees for Section 73 applications for variations of conditions are also going up to £86 for householders, £586 for non-major development (other than householders) and £2,000 for major development. 

Fees for the submission of a biodiversity gain plan are also increasing from £145 to £298.

We hope that this increased fee income will be ringfenced for planning departments so they can fund extra resources and fill the planning skill gaps that have recently been highlighted, all to deliver a faster, better service for applicants, as well as improving staff retention.