Planning application fees are due to change on 1st April 2025.
Signposted earlier in the year, the planning fee increases will be introduced at the start of next month.
From 1st April 2025 all planning fees will increase, with some applications going up by as much as 100% with others rising in line with inflation. These rates will be fixed until April 2026, likely more increases to come.
The largest changes would be for householder applications, discharge of conditions, prior approval, outline permission and S73 applications. Many of these fees will be doubling in cost from the current price.
Proposals to increase the fee for householder applications to £528 (from £258) for a single dwellinghouse and to £1,043 (from £509) for two or more dwellinghouses are being taken forward in an attempt to allow LPAs to achieve full cost recovery. However, the existing fee of £258 (£262 from 1 April 2025) will remain for small-scale operations within the curtilage of a dwellinghouse, such as the construction of gates or fences. Fortunately, S73 applications for householder permission will be reduced, as a tier of fees for S73 applications are introduced.
Many fees, including full planning applications will only increase by 1.7%, in line with inflation. For example, full planning permission for the erection of new houses in schemes of under 10 dwellings would be £588 per unit, where the current fee is £578 per unit.
A list of some of the fees for application types which are changing the most are detailed below.
Application type | Current fee (Dec 2023) | Fee from 1st April 2025 |
|---|---|---|
Discharge of conditions (householder) | £43 | £86 |
Discharge of conditions (other) | £145 | £298 |
Household applications – alterations/extensions for single dwellinghouse | £258 | £528 (some small-scale operations will be the new inflation price of £262) |
Prior Approvals – Class MA | £125 per dwelling | £250 per dwelling |
Prior Approvals (without building operations) | £120 | £240 |
Prior Approvals (with building operations) | £258 | £516 |
S73 variations - householder | £293 | £86 |
S73 variations – minor development | £293 | £586 |
S73 variations – major development | £293 | £2000 |
These fees are not inclusive of the planning portal admin fee of £70 per application.
For the full list of new fees, consult the Planning Portal’s forthcoming fee schedule which includes application fees which are increasing in line with inflation.
WEA Planning are currently advising clients on the planning reforms and changing application costs. We would be happy to respond to your query today.