Increased revenue from planning fee rises must be used to bolster local authority planning teams
By
Jonathan Harper
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This week’s confirmation that the New Fees Order will come into force on 6 December 2023, meaning from that date planning fees for major applications will be up 35% and all other applications will be up 25%, could be seen as a further burden on developers at a time when they are being squeezed on all fronts.
However, our leading town planning team is broadly understanding of both the Planning Guarantee period for non-major applications being reduced to 16 weeks and the fee rises themselves, as long as there is commitment to this extra income being used directly to increase planning resource within local authorities.
Local authorities are being asked to do more when it comes to planning and the built environment – from fines, to design codes and all in between – but there currently isn’t the resources, let alone experienced people, to deal with all of these requirements at a local level. The increased revenue from the planning fees must be utilised directly to bolster local authority planning teams with the right people and to train those that do not already have the requisite skills or experience.
The requirement for 10% biodiversity net gain (BNG) for example, which will come into effect next year, is an area which will put further pressure on local authorities. If the local authorities are not ready to deal with the necessary requirements, and they have not got the process or the resources in place to manage this appropriately then it has the potential to cause greater delays to the planning process and to the delivery of developments sites, no matter the good intentions. Additional resource and expertise will therefore be needed to ensure that the BNG process is workable and effective.
Furthermore, with development becoming more and more challenging, due to the current economic climate and increasing burdens being placed upon developers, it’s crucial that the extra costs associated with planning application fees are utilised to ensure that the planning process runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible. This is absolutely vital in ensuring development can come forward.
Jonathan Harper is a partner in the planning team at Rapleys
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Increased revenue from planning fee rises must be used to bolster local authority planning teams
By
Jonathan Harper
Share this:
This week’s confirmation that the New Fees Order will come into force on 6 December 2023, meaning from that date planning fees for major applications will be up 35% and all other applications will be up 25%, could be seen as a further burden on developers at a time when they are being squeezed on all fronts.
However, our leading town planning team is broadly understanding of both the Planning Guarantee period for non-major applications being reduced to 16 weeks and the fee rises themselves, as long as there is commitment to this extra income being used directly to increase planning resource within local authorities.
Local authorities are being asked to do more when it comes to planning and the built environment – from fines, to design codes and all in between – but there currently isn’t the resources, let alone experienced people, to deal with all of these requirements at a local level. The increased revenue from the planning fees must be utilised directly to bolster local authority planning teams with the right people and to train those that do not already have the requisite skills or experience.
The requirement for 10% biodiversity net gain (BNG) for example, which will come into effect next year, is an area which will put further pressure on local authorities. If the local authorities are not ready to deal with the necessary requirements, and they have not got the process or the resources in place to manage this appropriately then it has the potential to cause greater delays to the planning process and to the delivery of developments sites, no matter the good intentions. Additional resource and expertise will therefore be needed to ensure that the BNG process is workable and effective.
Furthermore, with development becoming more and more challenging, due to the current economic climate and increasing burdens being placed upon developers, it’s crucial that the extra costs associated with planning application fees are utilised to ensure that the planning process runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible. This is absolutely vital in ensuring development can come forward.
Jonathan Harper is a partner in the planning team at Rapleys
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