Copy article

Planning application fees to more than double

ended 17. December 2024

The Government plans to increase householder planning application fees from £258 to £528 at 'the earliest opportunity'.

It does concede that an 'unintended consequence of an increased fee may be increased unauthorised development'.

Does more than doubling application fees increase the likelihood of illegal activity?
Is this price rise a bit counter-intuitive when the Government wants to encourage empty properties to be converted into homes?
Do you welcome you price changes?

2 responses from the Newspage community

Copy all

Copy

Editor
Ben Perks
Managing Director at Orchard Financial Advisers
It looks like they are charging for the new levels of leniency. I don’t think this will deter people from building legitimately, but with the higher price tag they’ll be expecting quicker decisions and better outcomes.
Copy

Editor
Dariusz Karpowicz
Director at Albion Financial Advice
The Government's plan to more than double planning application fees seems about as sensible as installing a chocolate teapot, potentially pushing more homeowners towards the dodgy path of unauthorized development just to avoid the steep costs.
While the intention might be to generate more revenue for planning departments, this eye-watering increase from £258 to £528 could indeed backfire spectacularly. At a time when we desperately need to encourage property development and renovations to address the housing crisis, slapping such a hefty price tag on planning applications feels rather like putting up a 'keep out' sign on the property market's front door. It's particularly puzzling given the Government's supposed commitment to converting empty properties into much-needed homes.