Planning Application Fees Increase Comes Into Effect in England 6th December 2023

Below are brief details of the planning application fee increase as of December 6th 2023

Legislative amendments to increase planning application fees in England have now been formally “made” and will take effect on 6th December 2023.

The main points affecting how fees are calculated on Planning Portal are that:

application fees in England will be increasing by 25% across the board, which will rise to 35% for major schemes based on the legislative interpretation of ‘major development’.
the provision for a ‘free go’ on application resubmissions in England will also be removed, but individual applications that were already eligible for a free resubmission prior to the change (i.e. before 6th December 2023) will remain so. This will see the number of such exemptions fade out over the 12-month period after the amendments have taken effect.
a fee is being introduced for the prior approval application required, as part of the permitted development rights for ‘development by the Crown on a closed defence site’.

Separately, the amendment introduces an annual rise in application fees linked to inflation (and capped at 10%) every April from 2025 onwards.

It also tightens the planning guarantee so that undetermined non-major applications (including householder developments) will be eligible to receive a refund after 16 weeks, shortened from the 26-week period which remains ‘as is’ in all other cases.

What will the new planning application fees be?

Here is a ‘forthcoming’ version of the fee schedule document to show the increased fees and related changes to rules and exemptions.

This can be used, alongside the existing schedule to see how the fees will increase for any given application, and how calculation of them may vary (e.g., based on the split between major and all other development).

Source Planning Portal Content Team September 26, 2023

Rob Duncan - Chartered Town Planner and corporate member at the Royal Town Planning Institute

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How Often Are Planning Appeals Successful?

The question is...how often are planning appeals successful?

Planning appeals against the refusal of planning permission, enforcement notices, unwarranted planning conditions or non-determination are handled by the Planning Inspectorate.

Administratively based in Bristol, the Planning Inspectorate employs Planning Inspectors who undertake appeal work across the country.

They provide an independent assessment of planning proposals, most commonly following a refusal of planning permission by a Local Authority.

Statistics published by the Planning Inspectorate show that for the period April 2018 to March 2019, a total of 10,176 appeals were determined.

The vast majority of these were processed via the Written Representations procedure (9,486). The remainder were determined via the Hearings procedure (488) and the Public Inquiry procedure (202).

Of the 10,176 appeals that were determined, an average of 30% were successful.

The success rate notably varies depending upon which appeal procedure is adopted, with 29% of Written Representations, 42% of Hearings and 48% of Public Inquiries being successful.

The statistics, therefore, show that there is a greater prospect of success when utilising these latter procedures – however, they do come at additional cost and are usually reserved for more complex or controversial cases.

At Hewitt&Carr Services, we have an above-average success rate with appeals and offer a professional, considered approach to such matters.

If you are looking to lodge an appeal against the decision of a Local Authority, get in touch with us for a review of your case and a competitive fee quote.

Give us a call 01538 711777 or simply email: hello@hc-services.uk

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What Is A Site Appraisal?

A site appraisal allows a client to assess the likelihood of planning permission being granted for a particular development proposal. This might be to determine whether a site is suitable for new residential development or to assess whether a change of use of a building might be acceptable in planning terms.

Hewitt&Carr Services offers a service which entails an assessment of the planning constraints applicable to a site and an appraisal of whether your proposed development is likely to be supported by the Local Authority. Where appropriate, it may also flag up alternative suggestions to address any constraints identified.

If you are interested in having a site appraised to determine its prospects of securing planning consent, then please give us a call to discuss further.

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