Planning Permission Costs.
- Stephen Waters
- Aug 7
- 5 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Planning Permission Costs.
The cost of applying for householder planning permission in England is £528. This covers alterations to single houses including extensions, significant alterations, or loft conversions.
Applying for full planning permission if you’re building a house costs £528.
Lawful Development Certificate costs.
A lawful development certificate is 50% of the cost of the corresponding planning application. So for a householder project, a lawful development certificate would cost £264. However, if you apply for a lawful development certificate retrospectively, you’ll need to pay double, so you’ll pay the same amount as a planning application fee.
Planning Portal costs.
In addition to the planning application costs, there may be a cost for submitting the application. Local authority planning departments encourage homeowners to submit via a national online database called ‘The Planning Portal’ as it’s meant to be more efficient.
If you’re submitting your planning application online via the planning portal, you’ll need to pay a service charge of £70 inc VAT. However, applications with planning fees below £60 will not incur this fee.
Some councils will let you email your planning application or submit a printed version by post or by hand for free. But some councils may charge a fee if you don’t use the Planning Portal to make your application, so you should check first.
Using the portal can save time and avoid delays. Local planning authorities report that applications submitted via the Portal. This is because the Portal ensures all elements of each application are complete, in the correct format and meet each LPA’s individual application requirements.
Appealing a rejected planning application.
In some cases a Planning Application may be rejected. Keep in mind that you can always put in a Planning Appeal by modifying your application and hopefully getting it closer to meeting the requirements of local planners. Though appealing a planning permission decision is free, as a homeowner, you must lodge your appeal within three months of it being refused.
Using a planning consultant with experience of successfully appealing, particularly against your local authority, may make the process a lot quicker. Also, you may be able to claim costs incurred during your planning permission appeal if someone involved in the appeal acts unreasonably and costs you money. You can find information on how to make a claim on the government website.
Retrospective planning permission costs.
The cost of making a retrospective planning application is £258, the same as if you make your application before you start work. But there are risks, because permission is not guaranteed. If your retrospective planning application is refused, you will need to reverse all changes made unless you appeal the decision and it is overturned. This can be a lengthy, expensive and stressful process, so it is always advisable to apply for planning permission or get a Certificate of Lawful Development before you start work.
Outline planning permission.
Outline planning permission is used to see if your proposed plans will be acceptable in whole or in part. Generally less information is needed for outline planning permission. Typically developers or landowners will sometimes use this to check if a proposed development is acceptable in principle, without needing to pay for the cost of preparing detailed plans.
For sites less than 0.5 hectares, the cost is £578 for each 0.1 hectare (or part thereof).
For sites between 0.5 hectares and 2.5 hectares, the cost is £624 for each 0.1 hectare (or part thereof).
For sites more than 2.5 hectares, the cost is £15,433+ £186 for each additional 0.1 hectare (or part thereof) in excess of 2.5 hectares. There’s a maximum fee of £202,500
Building Regulations
The cost of building regulation approval varies depending to your local authority fee rates and the nature of the work. Generally, most conversion, renovation or extension work will cost approximately £100 to submit full plans, plus £200 – £400 for inspections.
Building regulations for extensions are typically £450+VAT for up to a 10m2.
A full plans approval or building notice with an inspection service would be approximately £500+VAT.
For larger extensions, of around 10-40m2, the costs increase to around £550+VAT for the full plans, and £600+VAT for the building notice.
The larger your development, the higher the fees will be.
For loft conversions, building regulations fees are around £460+VAT for full plans and £500+VAT for a building notice. However, projects can involve additional issues for which you can expect to see some additional costs of £100 to £200+VAT if, for example, the conversion includes a dormer window or upgrades to thermal elements such as a wall or replacement windows.
Self-build costs.
If you’re undertaking a self-build project you can also face additional costs during the planning application process such as:
An ecological ‘Phase 1’ report if your project might impact protected species like bats. These cost in the region of £600-£1,200 but if protected species are found, costs can increase.
An assessment by an arboriculturist may be needed for trees if there are any that could be affected by your plans. These fees typically cost around £300 to £1,000.
You may also need to do drainage, flood risk, highways, archaeologist or environmental assessments.
Structural Calculations
For more complex projects, structural calculations will probably be needed to demonstrate that the building is structurally safe. These can cost anywhere from a few hundred pounds for simple projects, to thousands for something more complex.
For structural systems such as roof trusses, the supplier will generally complete the structural calculations as part of their costs.
SAP Calculations
A core part of the building regs thermal assessment is the ‘Standard Assessment Procedure’ otherwise know as ‘SAP’ calculations. These are used to assess and compare the energy and environmental performance of properties, and are a requirement for new builds and significant refurbishments. The cost of a SAP assessment typically ranges from £300 to £500, depending on the complexity and number of revisions.
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
Building regulations also require an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for all new buildings and major refurbishments. This provides a rating of the building’s energy efficiency and includes recommendations for improvement. The cost of an EPC can vary, but are in the region of £80 and £140.
Under the new Approved Document O, an assessment is needed to ensure a new property does not overheat. For simple building designs, the simplified method of assessment can be used at around £200 to £300+VAT. If a building fails, or where the design is more complex, the Dynamic Modelling method is needed which simulates a building's energy use under various conditions which costs in the region of £850+VAT to £1500+VAT for each dynamic assessment.
Securing building regulations approval is an essential part of building a new house or major refurbishment project. While the costs can add up, they are necessary to make sure the structure is a safe and energy efficient place to live.
If you found this article useful please check out the other articles on my blog and if you need any assistance with a planning application, etc, please get in touch.
East Riding of Yorkshire Planning & Building Control Fees.
If you found this article useful please check out the other articles on my blog and if you need any assistance with a planning application, etc, please get in touch.
Comments