Before setting out on your self-build journey, it’s important to be aware of the costs you’ll incur from the outset.
SIMON RIX
Is a professional planning consultant. He was a council officer and later an elected councillor before setting up Planix UK Planning Consultants Ltd.
Working out if you can afford the construction costs of your dream build is a crucial part of the process and it’s one many readers of this magazine will consider at the very beginning. However, another concern for anyone looking to build or extend their home is the cost of obtaining any necessary planning permissions.
Planning application fees were introduced so that people who want to apply for consent, rather than taxpayers in general, meet the costs incurred by local planning authorities in deciding planning applications. That said, local councils’ other planning services also get funds from council tax, retained business rates, and central government grants. These other services include planning policy making, dealing with appeals and taking enforcement action against people who don’t play by the rules.
The planning application fee rates paid to submit an application are set by the national governments of the UK, but the system is complex, with different amounts due for different types and sizes of project, so it’s the local council that decides on the actual fee due for a specific application, based on the nationally set rules, and the fee is paid to them.
In this article, I’ll take a closer look at how much planning permission costs in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, as well as other related costs, plus ways to save money.
HOUSEHOLDER PLANNING APPLICATION FEES
Householder planning applications cover a range of works to a single dwelling house and/ or within its curtilage, including any loft conversions, extensions, new fencing or outbuildings that aren’t covered by permitted development rights. In England, the standard fee for a householder planning application is £206; in Wales it is £230; in Scotland, it is now set at £300; and in Northern Ireland, the fee is slightly lower, at £291.
NEW HOME APPLICATION FEES
The costs of submitting a planning application for a new home can vary depending on the scale and nature of the proposed development. An outline application is one where not all the details of the proposal are put forward, i.e. some are left for a later stage. In England, the fee for an outline planning application is £462 for each dwelling or if the number of dwellings is not specified, per 0.1 hectare, or part thereof (i.e. 0.11 hectares would cost £924).
It is important to note that if you apply for and get outline planning permission, you will then need to apply to get the reserved matters approved (i.e. the d
