The government has announced various proposals for planning reform, and this includes considering changes to planning fees. This proposal which is currently open for consultation is to double the householder fees from £258 to £528. This could also potentially include a mechanism where local authorities could set their own fees.
The intention is that these fees would fully cover the costs of assessing applications, and it is suggested that 300 additional planning officers will be employed accross the country. However, this equates to less than one planner per council, so it is doubtful that this would have a meaningful impact on addressing the backlog and improve the speed and quality of decision making.
The new proposed fees represent a large increase, which may, in the case of smaller development proposals, represent a large proportion of the total cost for a project. In larger schemes however, this increased fee may not deter development. It is likely that local authorities will welcome this proposed change, however it will have most impact on householders submitting applications for small, low-cost developments, where this increased fee will be a substantial part of the total costs.
The government is also seeking views on introducing fees for application which are currently exempt. This is concerning given these include listed building consents, works to protected trees, and demolition in conservation areas. The preservation and maintenance of such assets is clearly in the public interest, and an introduction of fees could mean homeowners ignoring these protections and undertaking work without permission. The same is true for fee increases more generally, which may have the effect of homeowners not seeking the required consents, which will lead to poorly designed alterations, and ultimately may increase the burden on the local authorities’ enforcement teams.
If local authorities could offer a good value pre-application services which provided reliable and well-considered advice, then these fee increases may be more acceptable, as applicants would have a clearer idea of the acceptability of their proposals.
The consultation on the proposed planning changes opened on 30th July 2024, and you can submit your views until 24th September
The consultation can be accessed at the link below where you can submit your views:
https://consult.communities.gov.uk/planning/planning-reform/