Planning Permission Application Details
📊 Statutory Planning Fee Breakdown
Submitting a full planning application, householder extension application, or lawful development certificate in England requires paying a statutory fee to your Local Planning Authority (LPA) via the online Planning Portal.
Following the UK government’s statutory planning fee increases, understanding exact council fees—such as £258 for domestic householder extensions vs £578 per new dwelling house—alongside the £70.00 Planning Portal service fee avoids application validation delays.
⚙️ Statutory UK Planning Application Fee Scales for 2026/27
1. Primary Statutory Planning Fee Scale
Under the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications) Regulations:
- Householder Applications (Single House Extension / Outbuilding / Loft Dormer): £258.00 flat fee.
- Erection of Single New Dwelling House: £578.00 flat fee.
- Erection of Multiple Dwellings (Up to 50 Houses): £578.00 per new dwelling.
- Example: Constructing 4 new detached houses =
4 × £578 = £2,312.00 council fee.
- Example: Constructing 4 new detached houses =
- Outline Planning Permission (Up to 2.5 Hectares): £578.00 per 0.1 hectare of site area.
- Discharge of Planning Conditions: £145.00 per request (householder applications) / £145.00 per request for commercial.
- Certificate of Lawfulness (Lawful Development Certificate for Proposed Use - LDC): £129.00 (50% of householder fee).
2. Mandatory Planning Portal Processing Fee
- Submitting planning applications online via the UK national Planning Portal incurs a mandatory fixed administration service fee of £70.00 including VAT (£58.33 + VAT).
- Total statutory cost =
Local Authority Fee + £70.00 Planning Portal Admin Fee.
3. Statutory Validation & Determination Timelines
- Householder & Minor Applications: Statutory target determination period of 8 weeks from valid application registration.
- Major Applications (10+ Houses / Commercial > 1,000 sq m): Statutory target determination period of 13 weeks.
📊 Practical Planning Fee Worked Examples
Below are two worked calculation examples illustrating statutory planning application costs:
- Application Category: **Householder Extension / Alteration**
- Local Authority Council Fee: **£258.00**
- Planning Portal Service Fee: **£70.00**
Calculation: Total statutory fee = £258.00 + £70.00 = £328.00 total.
- Application Category: **Erection of 4 New Dwellings**
- Local Authority Council Fee (4 × £578): **£2,312.00**
- Planning Portal Service Fee: **£70.00**
Calculation: Total statutory fee = £2,312.00 + £70.00 = £2,382.00 total.
📑 Common Pitfalls & Planning Application Warnings
- Submitting Incomplete / Invalid Applications: If scaling measurements, site location plans (1:1250 scale red line boundaries), or block plans (1:500 scale) are missing, the council will invalidate your application, freezing your 8-week decision countdown timer.
- Permitted Development vs Planning Permission: Many rear extensions, loft conversions, and garden outbuildings fall under Permitted Development (PD) rights, eliminating the need for full planning permission. However, applying for a Lawful Development Certificate (£129) is strongly advised to prove legal PD compliance when selling your home.
- Planning Obligations & CIL Fees Not Included: Statutory planning application fees cover council processing ONLY. They do NOT include architect design fees, structural engineering calculations, tree surveys, ecological bat surveys, or local authority Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) payments.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
No. Planning application fees pay for council administrative and officer evaluation time and are **non-refundable** once validated. However, you can submit 1 revised application free of charge within 12 months of refusal.
A Lawful Development Certificate is a legal document issued by your local council confirming that a proposed extension or outbuilding is lawful and does NOT require full planning permission under Permitted Development rules.
Full planning permission generally lasts for **3 years** from the date of the decision notice. Construction work must formally commence on site before the 3-year period expires.
A valid application requires a **Location Plan (1:1250 scale)** with a red boundary line around the site and a **Block Plan (1:500 scale)** showing proposed extension footprints relative to site boundaries.