Local authorities may vary fees for planning applications to fit local circumstances after the House of Lords voted under an amendment to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill (LURB), tabled by Baroness Pinnock.
The LGA writes on the amendment:
Planning fees: Amendment 235, tabled by Baroness Pinnock
- This new Clause would allow local authorities to set the fees for planning applications, in order that the cost of determining an application is reflected by the fee charged.
LGA View
- We support this amendment. Planning fees do not cover the true cost of processing planning applications. In 2020/21, 305 out of 343 local authority planning departments operated in a deficit, which totalled £245.4 million.
- We welcome the Government’s commitment to increase planning application fees. However, our modelling has shown that even if all application fees were uplifted by 35 per cent, the overall national shortfall for 2020/21 would have remained above £80 million.
- Councils must have the flexibility to set planning fees at local level, or at the very least be able to vary planning fees and charges to cover their costs relating to planning. This would help to ensure planning departments are effectively resourced and put councils in a stronger position to address the skills and capacity challenges in planning departments.
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