Planning Application Fees - Wales

To no great surprise (or fanfare) come updated Planning Application Fee Regulations in Wales on applications valid on or after 01 October 2015.

The main changes: 

• Circa 15% increase in the fee charge across the board.  Basic fee rates will increase to £190 and £380 and multiples.    

• Charges for approval of conditions are introduced (£30 in householder cases and £95 in all other cases).

The carrot  given  does not come without a huge stick which the Minister has raised, presumably  in his quest to improve performance.  

• Application fees must be refunded  planning conditions not determined 8 weeks after submission (which might be surprsingly many), those still not determined a further 8 weeks after the normal period on householder applications and and in any other case on an application for planning permission or approval of reserved matters, 16 weeks after the normal decision time (8+16 being 24 weeks).  There is further leeway to agree extensions of time. 

We do wonder however if the Minister has learnt to reverse swing the ball and wait nervously to see if change to the DM Procedure Order is imminent to reflect the new powers in the Wales Planning Act and the consultation in late 2014 on frontloading consultation and mandatory pre-application processes to redress some of balance back.     

Watch this space Pete