Planning Application Fee Reform - Key Changes

The Government has launched a significant consultation proposing major changes to how planning application fees are charged in England. The eight‑week consultation, running until 18 May 2026, outlines a move towards a new National Default Fee Schedule and wider powers for local authorities to set their own planning fees. These reforms are intended to address long‑standing resourcing pressures within planning departments and improve decision‑making performance.

A New National Default Fee Schedule

Under the current proposals, all planning fees would be recalibrated based on 90% of the estimated true cost of processing applications. This represents a substantial shift from the current nationally fixed fee regime and is expected to increase most application categories. The default schedule would form the baseline for all local planning authorities.

 

Local Fee‑Setting Powers

Alongside the new national schedule, local authorities would be allowed to vary planning application fees locally to achieve full cost recovery. The Government is consulting on whether a cap is needed to avoid wide disparities in fee levels across England. For applicants, this means planning costs may differ more noticeably between authority areas in future.

 

Restructured Fee Categories and a New Surcharge

The consultation proposes simplifying existing fee categories and introducing new ones to better reflect officer time. A 10% surcharge on planning fees is also proposed to cover the work of statutory consultees such as highways authorities and environmental bodies.

 

Scrutiny of LPA Performance

With higher fees comes higher expectations. The Government has made clear that local planning authorities will be required to provide a faster and more reliable service, with closer monitoring of performance and potential intervention where decision times fall short.

 

Why This Matters

For developers, landowners and homeowners, these proposals would mean higher planning fees, potentially varied by local authority, but with the aim of delivering a more responsive and better‑resourced planning system. The changes would also affect cost planning for upcoming projects, viability assessments, and budgeting for bespoke advice such as pre‑application discussions.

 

Next Steps

The consultation runs until 18 May 2026, and the Government will use the responses to shape the regulations that will implement the new fee system. DHA Planning will continue to monitor developments closely and will update clients as the proposals progress towards implementation.

 

If you are preparing a planning application or considering a new project, please speak to our team for advice on how these proposed changes may impact your programme and costs.