Last-minute planning rush expected as fees soar

Council planning departments could be hit by a surge in applications before the introduction of “eye-watering” increases to planning fees on 1 April.

Under the changes, announced by housing minister Keith Hill last week, the maximum fee for a major housing development will increase from £11,000 to £50,000. The fee for a home extension will rise from £110 to £135.

The fees were raised after consultation, which ended in December, suggested earlier proposed increases were not high enough.

Councils have now been warned to brace themselves as developers try to beat the deadline.

Gareth Capner, senior partner at planning consultant Barton Willmore, said: “We are finding that we are being asked to fast-track applications before 1 April. This is because there is an increase in fees at the top end which are quite eye-watering.”

Faraz Baber, director of development and regeneration at the British Property Federation, said the organisation was expecting a “surge” in applications.

Graham Warren, director of the planning division with consultant RPS, said: “Anybody with any sense would do this. I would imagine the industry is going like the clappers. It would be all hands to the pumps to save £35,000.”

The rises are meant to cover a mismatch between fees and the cost of processing applications. Further rises are expected in the long term because the government grant councils currently receive to help cover costs is to be scaled back.

An ODPM spokesman said councils would not get extra funds to help them tackle the workload. He said: “By publishing the consultation document on 25 December, we alerted authorities to our proposals to increase fees, and will most likely be prepared for an increase in applications.”