What you need to know before the 31st march
From the 31st March 2025 Planning Fee Charges will increase for most planning applications in England. At the moment Scotland and Wales are unaffected. The following service charges will apply on the Planning Portal after this date:
- Updated Planning Portal service charge: £70.83 +VAT
- Minimum fee threshold increase: From £60 to £100 (applications under £100 will not incur a service charge).
While some fees have experienced only minimal increases, we are noticing that in many cases, the costs have doubled. The new fees can be reviewed in full by visiting the planning portal’s website here, but we have provided a brief summary of the increases below:
Summary of fee increases from 31 March 2025
- The planning application fee for the enlargement, improvement or alteration of a dwelling will increase from £258 to £528 (where the application relates to a single dwelling) and from £509 to £1,043 (where the application relates to two or more dwellings).
- The fee for a prior approval application for a material change of use that includes building operations will increase from £258 to £516.
- The fee for a prior approval application for a change of use from commercial, business and service uses to residential will increase from £125 to £250 per dwelling.
- The fee for a prior approval application for Larger Home Extensions, Additional storeys on a home , Agricultural and Forestry buildings & operations or demolition of buildings will increase from £120 to £240.
- A section 73 application will change from a flat rate of £293 to £86 for householder applications, £586 for other development and £2,000 for schemes classed as major development.
- The planning application fee for small-scale operations within the curtilage of a dwelling, such as the construction of gates or fences, remains at £258.
- Lawful Development certificate applications only have a minor increase from £293 to £298 for Existing use or operation – lawful not to comply with any condition or limitation.
- Removal/variation of a condition fees have changed from a flat rate of £293 to £86 for Alterations/ extensions to dwellinghouses; or works within/ along the boundary of a dwellinghouse, £586 for Non-major (other than householder) and £2000 for Major development.
- The fee for Discharge of conditions for Alterations/Extensions to dwellinghouses; or works within/ along the boundary of a dwellinghouse is increasing from £43 to £86. For Any other development it is increasing from £145 to £298.
Conclusion
In summary, most planning application fees in England will increase from 31 March 2025. Some fees will double, while others will see smaller changes. The Planning Portal service charge will rise to £70.83 + VAT. Plus, the minimum fee threshold will jump from £60 to £100.
Key changes include higher fees for householder applications, prior approvals, Section 73 applications, and condition discharge fees. While a few fees remain the same, many will see significant increases. For full details, visit the Planning Portal.