Planning Fees Increase Date Announced as 6th December 2023
It has been confirmed by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities that the increase in planning fees for England, which was expected to come into effect in April 2024, has been brought forward and will come into effect on 6th December 2023.
The Government is seeking to address the current funding shortfall for Local Planning Authorities through this increase. Planning fees in England were last increased in 2018.
The key changes include a 35% increase for major applications and a 25% increase for all other applications. The fees for some of the most common application types include:
- – Applications for < 10 dwellinghouses – £578 for each dwellinghouse (previously £462)
- – Householder Applications – £258 (previously £206)
- – Advertisements – £165 (previously £132)
- – Change of Use – £578 (previously £462)
- – Non-Material Amendments – £293 (previously £234)
- – Discharge of Planning Conditions (non-householder) – £145 (previously £116)
- – Discharge of Planning Conditions (householder) – £43 (previously £34)
Under the new Regulation 18A, planning fees will continue to be increased annually in line with inflation (capped at 10% per year) from 1st April 2025.
Other updates include the removal of the “free go” for repeat applications following the refusal or withdrawal of an earlier application. In addition, there will be a reduction in the “planning guarantee” period from 26 weeks to 16 weeks for non-major applications, which allows applications which remain undetermined and without an agreed extension of time to be eligible for a fee refund after 16 weeks.
There is also a new prior approval application fee of £120 in relation to Class TA permitted development rights for closed defence sites owned by the Crown.
The Planning Portal Administration Fee (currently £64) will still also apply.
If you have any questions about how the fee increases could affect your upcoming projects, please speak to one of the Firstplan team.
Article by Amy Murray
