Homeowners and developers planning building works or property alterations should be aware of forthcoming increases to planning application fees in England, which are due to come into effect on 8 December 2026.
The Government has announced changes to the national planning application fee structure, representing an increase across a wide range of application types. The changes are intended to enable local planning authorities to recover at least 90% of the costs associated with processing and determining planning applications.
For anyone considering a house extension, alterations to an existing property, a change of use or a new development, it is worth understanding how these changes may affect the overall cost of obtaining planning permission.
What are the changes?
From 8 December 2026, the majority of planning application fees will increase, with some application types seeing more significant changes than others.
To give an indication of the revised costs, the following examples compare the existing fees with those due to apply from December:
For a typical homeowner looking to extend or alter their property, the standard Householder Planning Application fee will increase from £548 to £575.
Although this particular increase is relatively modest, other application categories will see more substantial rises. For example, the fee for a larger home extension under Permitted Development rights, requiring prior approval from the local authority, will increase from £249 to £310.
These are just a selection of the revised fees, and the actual application fee will depend on the nature and scale of the proposed development.
When do the new fees come into effect?
The revised fees are scheduled to take effect on Tuesday 8 December 2026.
For applicants wishing to submit an application under the existing fee structure, the Planning Portal has confirmed that the deadline for submissions is 5.00 pm on Monday 7 December 2026.
Importantly, applications must have been fully submitted, with any required payment received and cleared, before this deadline. Applications still in draft or awaiting payment will be subject to the revised fees if they are submitted after the change takes effect.
Anyone currently preparing a planning application should therefore consider their anticipated submission date and allow sufficient time for the necessary drawings, supporting information and application documentation to be completed.
Will planning application fees continue to increase?
The December changes establish a revised national baseline for planning application fees. However, the Government has also indicated its intention to introduce locally varied planning fees during the 2027/2028 financial year.
In addition, the national fees will remain subject to annual inflationary adjustments, which are normally applied on 1 April each year.
This means that planning application fees may continue to change in the coming years, making it increasingly important to establish the correct fee when preparing an application.