Change in Planning Fees: April 2025

The Government laid a draft statutory instrument before Parliament that, once made, will increase a wide range of planning application fees in England.

This is set out in the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) (Amendment and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2025.

The Order will take effect on 1 April 2025.

In summary, the key proposed fee increases are as follows:

Householder Applications:

i) Applications for the enlargement, improvement or other alteration of a single dwellinghouse: increase from £258 to £528;
ii) Applications for the enlargement, improvement or other alteration of two or more dwellinghouses: increase from £509 to £1,043.

Prior Approvals:

i) Prior approval applications that do not involve building operations: increase from £120 to £240;
ii) Prior approval applications that involve building operations: increase from £258 to £516; and
iii) Prior approvals relating to the change of use of Class E uses to residential (under Class MA of the GDPO): increase from £125 per dwellinghouse to £250 per dwelling house;

Section 73 Applications:

There is a new three-tier fee structure for section 73 applications:

i) £86 for householder applications;
ii) £586 for non-major development; and
iii) £2,000 for major development.

Discharge of Conditions:

The fee for an application for approval of details reserved by condition is increasing from:

i) £43 to £86 for householders; and
ii) £145 to £298 for any other development.

Other:

i) Raising of base payment for applications over 50 no. dwellings from £30,860 to £31,385;
ii) Significant raise in base payment for agricultural development over 1,000sqm (but below 4,215sqm) from £624 to £5,077; and
iii) Biodiversity Gain Plan: fee for submission increasing from £145 to £298.

The link to the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) (Amendment and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2025 is here.

The new fees will come into force for valid applications submitted on or after 1 April 2025.