How planning fees escalate with unit numbers
Planning fees are charged per dwelling up to 50 units, then on a different basis. Here is the structure, the indexation and the fees people forget.
The planning fee by number of dwellings in England is not a simple multiplication. It is a flat amount per dwelling up to 50 units, then a base amount plus a smaller amount for each dwelling above 50, subject to an overall maximum. So the marginal cost of the 51st dwelling is much lower than the 50th, and once you pass the cap the marginal cost is nil.
Every figure in that structure is indexed annually, so this article deals with the structure rather than the numbers. The numbers live in the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) Regulations 2012 as amended, and the Planning Portal maintains a fee calculator that applies the current schedule.
How the residential fee structure is built
Three tiers, and the boundaries matter more than the rates.
For the creation of new dwellinghouses, the fee is calculated per dwelling up to and including 50. Above 50, a fixed base applies plus an additional amount for each dwelling in excess of 50. That additional amount is substantially lower than the per-unit rate below the threshold, and a maximum fee applies once the total reaches it.
Alterations and extensions to an existing dwelling sit in a separate category with a flat fee, and there is a different flat fee for alterations to two or more dwellings. So a single extension costs the same whether it adds 15 m² or 60 m².
Change of use applications, outline applications and applications for other development are charged on entirely different bases, which is why comparing a residential conversion fee with a new-build fee produces confusion.
The practical consequence for a self-builder is that the fee is rarely the binding constraint. A nine-unit scheme and a ten-unit scheme differ by one unit of fee and by a great deal else, which we set out in the statutory consultees that appear as a scheme grows.
Bands, per unit additions and the cap
| Scale | Basis of charge |
|---|---|
| 1 to 50 dwellings | Per dwelling |
| 51 dwellings and above | Base amount plus a lower per-dwelling amount above 50 |
| Very large schemes | Capped at a maximum fee |
| Extension to one dwelling | Flat fee |
| Alterations to two or more dwellings | Different flat fee |
Two things to watch when counting units. A scheme that replaces an existing dwelling with two is usually charged on the net gain rather than the gross, and the regulations set out how the calculation works. And a mixed scheme with dwellings and commercial floorspace attracts the higher of the applicable fees rather than both, in most cases.
Ask the authority to confirm the fee before you submit where the scheme is unusual. An underpaid fee makes the application invalid, which means the determination clock has not started, and finding that out three weeks later is the most avoidable delay in the whole process.
Indexation and where to check the current figure
Planning fees in England were increased in December 2023 and the amending regulations introduced annual indexation, with fees rising each year in line with an inflation measure from 1 April.
That has two effects on budgeting. A fee figure quoted in a feasibility appraisal written last year is out of date, and a scheme that slips across 1 April pays the new rate.
Check the figure in two places and reconcile them: the current regulations on the legislation website, and the Planning Portal fee calculator. Where they disagree, the regulations win, and the disagreement usually means the calculator has not yet been updated after an uprating.
Some authorities also charge separately for services that are not the application fee: pre-application advice, a Planning Performance Agreement, monitoring of a section 106 agreement, and discharge of conditions. Those are not indexed nationally and each authority publishes its own schedule.
Fees for outline and reserved matters
Outline applications are charged by site area rather than by unit number, in bands per 0.1 hectare up to a threshold, then a base plus an amount per additional 0.1 hectare, again with a cap.
That creates a planning decision with a fee consequence. A large site brought forward as outline pays on area, and the subsequent reserved matters application pays a fee calculated as if it were a full application, which means the total across both stages is higher than a single full application for the same development.
The regulations do provide relief where the applicant has already paid an amount at or above the maximum, in which case a flat fee applies to the reserved matters submission. On a large site that relief is worth checking before choosing the route, because on some schemes the outline plus reserved matters route is materially more expensive and on others it is not.
Where reserved matters are submitted in phases, each submission attracts a fee. A scheme with five phases of reserved matters pays five times, and this is a line that gets left out of appraisals.
The removal of the free resubmission
For many years the regulations allowed one fee-free repeat application, within 12 months, for development of the same character on the same site by the same applicant, following a refusal or withdrawal. It was universally called the free go.
That exemption was removed in England by the 2023 amendment to the fee regulations. Transitional provisions applied to applications already in the system, so the position for an older refusal may differ from the position for a recent one. Check the current regulations rather than relying on advice given before 2024.
What this changes in practice: resubmitting after a refusal now costs a full fee, so the choice between appeal and resubmission is a straighter financial comparison than it used to be. An appeal costs nothing in fees to the Inspectorate and costs professional time. A resubmission costs a fee and gives you the chance to change the scheme.
Fees for conditions, variations and certificates
The fees people forget are the ones after permission.
- Discharge of conditions is charged per request, at one rate for householder development and a higher one otherwise. Submitting six conditions in one request costs one fee, and submitting them one at a time costs six.
- A section 73 application to vary or remove a condition attracts a fee in its own right.
- A section 96A application for a non-material amendment attracts a lower fee, which is why it is worth establishing whether a change is non-material before submitting under section 73.
- A lawful development certificate for an existing use is charged at the same rate as a full application for that development, and one for a proposed use at a lower rate.
- Listed building consent carries no fee, which surprises people, though the drawings and heritage evidence behind it are not free.
Bundle the discharge requests. It is the single largest fee saving available on a small scheme, and the only cost is coordinating the information so that everything is ready at once.
Budgeting fees across a phased scheme
Build the fee line properly into the appraisal, because on a ten-unit scheme the application fee is a small number and the total cost of consents is not.
A workable list for a scheme of this size: pre-application advice fee, the application fee itself, the fee for any lawful development certificate, discharge of conditions fees at one or more stages, a section 73 fee if the scheme changes during build, any monitoring fee under a section 106 agreement, and the Community Infrastructure Levy where the authority charges it. The levy is not a fee and is calculated on floorspace under the authority's own charging schedule, with exemptions available for self-build.
The supporting documents are the larger number. Consultant fees for the technical evidence on a ten-unit scheme routinely exceed the application fee many times over, and an Affordable Housing Statement becomes necessary at the ten-unit threshold in most authorities. Housing mix expectations arrive at the same point, as set out in housing mix and space standards as schemes grow.
PlanScope's own pricing is one free report, £50 per report, or Professional at £150 per month or £600 per year for unlimited reports. See PlanScope pricing for what each tier includes, and the report index for which documents a scheme of your size normally needs.
This is general guidance, not legal advice. Check the position with your local planning authority or a qualified professional before relying on it. PlanScope provides AI-assisted draft reports for planning applications. Reports should be reviewed before submission. We do not guarantee planning approval.
Frequently asked questions
How is the fee for a new housing scheme calculated?
Per dwelling up to and including 50 units. Above 50, a fixed base applies plus a lower amount for each dwelling in excess of 50, subject to an overall maximum. The figures are in the 2012 fee regulations as amended and are indexed annually, so check the current schedule or the Planning Portal calculator.
Do planning fees go up every year?
In England, yes. Fees were increased in December 2023 and the amending regulations introduced annual indexation in line with an inflation measure from 1 April. A figure quoted in last year's appraisal is out of date, and a scheme that slips across 1 April pays the new rate.
Is there still a free resubmission after a refusal?
Not in England. The exemption allowing one fee-free repeat application within 12 months was removed by the 2023 amendment to the fee regulations, with transitional provisions for applications already in the system. Check the current regulations rather than relying on advice given before 2024.
Is outline plus reserved matters cheaper than a full application?
Often not. Outline is charged on site area and reserved matters is charged as if it were a full application, so the two stages together can cost more than one full application. Relief applies where the maximum has already been paid, and each phase of reserved matters attracts its own fee.
How can I reduce the fees after permission?
Bundle the discharge of conditions requests. The fee is charged per request rather than per condition, so submitting six conditions together costs one fee where submitting them individually costs six. The only cost is coordinating the information so everything is ready at the same time.
Sources and further reading
This article is general guidance about the planning system in England and, where stated, the rest of the UK. It is not legal or professional advice. Check your local planning authority’s validation requirements and take professional advice for your specific site.