The UK Government has announced that fees for planning applications will increase by 25% across the board, and by 35% for major applications.

These changes are set to become effective from the 6th of December 2023. The increase in fees is to address the shortfall of funding that local authorities have been facing, and having to pay for these additional costs out of their budgets.

The newly increased budgets will mean that planning services will be able to improve, significantly reducing the delays in planning procedures.

This will enable more properties to be built and improved, in order to accomodate the countries growing population and demand for affordable, quality housing.

Furthermore, the increased budget for local authorities will allow greater investment into local plans, which will in turn lead to the improvement of local areas and communities, not just home ownership.

Application fees will rise annually alongside inflation (capped at 10%) from April 2025 onwards.

It’s not all bad news - Let’s Design Architecture’s fees are still very competitive and we will not be increasing our costs to you. If you would like us to prepare your planning application, please get in touch!