Planning application fees to increase from 1 April 2026

The Government has confirmed that planning application fees in England will increase from 1 April 2026, following the introduction of annual indexation linked to inflation.

 

The increase has been set at 3.8%, reflecting the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) for September 2025, and will apply to the majority of planning application types submitted on or after 1 April 2026.

 

Why are planning fees increasing?

 

The annual uplift mechanism was introduced through the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2023. The regulations provide for planning fees to be updated each year in line with CPI, with the aim of ensuring that fee levels better reflect the costs incurred by local planning authorities when determining applications.

 

The September 2025 CPI figure of 3.8% has now been applied to all relevant fee categories, resulting in revised national fee rates that will take effect from 1 April 2026.

 

What types of applications are affected?

 

The uplift applies across most categories of development, including:

 

• Residential development (including major housing schemes);
• Non‑residential and commercial development;
• Change of use applications;
• Reserved matters applications;
• Applications relating to conditions, amendments and non‑material changes; and
• Certificates of lawful development and prior approval applications.

 

Updated fee schedules have been published by the Government and will be used by all local planning authorities in England from April 2026.

 

 

Known issue with outline applications

 

The Government has acknowledged an existing issue within the current regulations which means that the fee for outline planning applications covering multiple categories of development is not increased as part of the indexation process. It has confirmed that this anomaly will be addressed through a future amendment to the regulations at the next available opportunity.

 

In the meantime, applicants should continue to check fee calculations carefully for mixed‑use outline submissions and seek confirmation where necessary.

 

What does this mean for applicants and developers?

 

While a 3.8% increase may appear modest in isolation, planning application fees can represent a significant cost for major or complex developments. The forthcoming uplift reinforces the importance of:

 

• Early budget planning, particularly for schemes programmed for submission around April 2026;
• Ensuring applications are fully valid on submission, to avoid delays or resubmissions that could trigger higher fees; and
• Aligning submission programmes with wider project milestones, especially where phased or outline applications are proposed.

 

For schemes with tight delivery timetables, there may be advantages in submitting applications before 1 April 2026, where appropriate and achievable.

 

Our advice

 

At DHA Planning, we are advising clients to review upcoming planning strategies and submission programmes now, to understand how the revised fee structure may affect project costs and timescales.

 

We are also supporting clients in ensuring that applications are robust, policy‑led and validation‑ready, helping to minimise avoidable delays and additional costs once the new fees come into effect.

 

If you would like advice on how the planning fee changes could affect a current or forthcoming project, please contact a member of the DHA Planning team.