On the 17th January 2018 planning application fees, set for every local planning authority at national level, will increase by 20% across the board. The government’s intention is to attempt to reduce the subsidy of planning applications being covered by the general tax payer and is the first increase in five years. It will apply to all applications that have not been validated by the 17th rather than only those that are submitted after that date.
In real terms this will result in the standard application fee of £385 increasing to £462 per full application or per dwelling and for householders the increase means that applications for homeowners will increase from £172 to £206. Pre-application charges are set locally and therefore are still under the control of local authorities, however some councils are already taking the opportunity to add 20% to their own rates in an attempt to increase income!
What this means for our clients is that their initial expense is naturally increased, but it also serves as a timely reminder that when submitting an application there are costs above and beyond your appointed agent. Although the fee will be the same whoever is representing you, submitting a well thought out and justified application has never been so important; avoid wasting money on slap dash generic submissions.
Whilst we will be beaten on price, we will not compromise on quality and the shake-up in planning application fees is likely to be only the beginning of changes over the next few years, therefore choosing quality consultants is an astute decision to ensure that your interests are protected and money isn’t being wasted.
A cynical view may be to wish that the performance of some local authorities increases by 20% to justify the fees, however in the current climate that is sadly unlikely.