Working out if you can afford the construction costs of your dream build is a crucial part of the process and it’s one many readers of this magazine will consider at the very beginning. However, another concern for anyone looking to build or extend their home is the cost of obtaining any necessary planning permissions.
Planning application fees were introduced so that people who want to apply for consent, rather than taxpayers in general, meet the costs incurred by local planning authorities in deciding planning applications. That said, local councils’ other planning services also get funds from council tax, retained business rates, and central government grants. These other services include planning policy making, dealing with appeals and taking enforcement action against people who don’t play by the rules.
The planning application fee rates paid to submit an application are set by the national governments of the UK, but the system is complex, with different amounts due for different types and sizes of project, so it’s the
