Wiltshire Council's response to the government's National Planning Policy Framework consultation

Question 89

Do you agree with the proposal to increase householder application fees to meet cost recovery?

Answer: yes

Please explain your answer:

Agree. We support this change for a planning application to be self-funding in terms of its administration and consideration. It should be remembered that the cost of a householder planning application fee represents a tiny fraction of the overall build cost.

Question 90

If you answered No to question 89, do you support increasing the fee by a smaller amount (at a level less than full cost recovery) and if so, what should the fee increase be? For example, a 50% increase to the householder fee would increase the application fee from £258 to £387.

Answer: no

If yes, please explain in the text box what you consider an appropriate fee increase would be:

Not applicable.

Question 91

If we proceed to increase householder fees to meet cost recovery, we have estimated that to meet cost-recovery, the householder application fee should be increased to £528. Do you agree with this estimate?

Answer: no - there should be no fee increase

If no, please explain in the text box below and provide evidence to demonstrate what you consider the correct fee should be:

The setting of planning application fees locally introduces complexities that have been considered previously. The Planning Advisory Service carried out a lot of work with local authorities on cost recording, but the proposals were eventually abandoned. The existing system ensures fairness for developers and agents and is a much simpler approach.

Question 92

Are there any applications for which the current fee is inadequate? Please explain your reasons and provide evidence on what you consider the correct fee should be.

Answer: no

Please explain your answer:

Not applicable.

Question 93

Are there any application types for which fees are not currently charged, but which should require a fee? Please explain your reasons and provide evidence on what you consider the correct fee should be.

Answer: yes

Please explain your reasons and provide evidence on what you consider the correct fee should be:

Any planning application should require a fee commensurate to the work that a local planning authority is required to carry out for its assessment and determination. Standalone Listed Building Consent applications should be charged at the same rate as the equivalent Full planning application fee, but no charge if accompanied by a Full planning application with a fee. Modification of Planning Obligations should be the same as Variation of Condition application fees. Applications for works to trees in a Conservation Area and applications for Trees subject to Tree Preservation Orders should be charged at £264, i.e. half of the Householder planning application fee.

Question 94

Do you consider that each local planning authority should be able to set its own (non-profit making) planning application fee?

Answer: no

Please explain your answer:

The current system ensures consistency and fairness. It avoids the need for authorities to carry out complex cost calculations and avoids wide disparities in approach from one council to another. A nationally based charging system is the preferred approach.

Question 95

What would be your preferred model for localisation of planning fees?

Answer: neither

Please give your reasons in the text box below:

National planning application fees is the preferred option.

Question 96

Do you consider that planning fees should be increased, beyond cost recovery, for planning applications services, to fund wider planning services?

Answer: yes

If yes, please explain what you consider an appropriate increase would be and whether this should apply to all applications or, for example, just applications for major development?:

Yes, a proportionate increase in planning application fees should be applied, beyond cost recovery, to reflect the need for service improvements and to fund other 'supporting' services.

Question 97

What wider planning services, if any, other than planning applications (development management) services, do you consider could be paid for by planning fees?

Please explain your answer:

Planning fees could fund specialist services that support the development management function, such archaeology, landscape, ecology and climate change who's technical advice is essential to effective decision-making.

It needs to be recognised that some local authorities will have more of certain types of planning applications (higher or lower application fee generators) than others and this affects fees income.

Question 98

Do you consider that cost recovery for relevant services provided by local authorities in relation to applications for development consent orders under the Planning Act 2008, payable by applicants, should be introduced?

Answer: yes

If yes, please explain any particular issues that the Government may want to consider, in particular which local planning authorities should be able to recover costs and the relevant services which they should be able to recover costs for, and whether host authorities should be able to waive fees where planning performance agreements are made.

We believe that planning authorities should be able to cover costs for all planning applications and should not be able to waive such fees under any circumstances. We believe that cost recovery is reasonable and should be introduced.

Question 99

What limitations, if any, should be set in regulations or through guidance in relation to local authorities' ability to recover costs?

Please explain your answer:

We consider that there should be no limitations on local authorities' ability to recover costs.

Question 100

Please provide any further information on the impacts of full or partial cost recovery are likely to be for local planning authorities and applicants. We would particularly welcome evidence of the costs associated with work undertaken by local authorities in relation to applications for development consent.

Please explain your answer:

We consider that there should be no limitations on local authorities' ability to recover costs.

Question 101

Please provide any further information on the impacts of full or partial cost recovery are likely to be for local planning authorities and applicants. We would particularly welcome evidence of the costs associated with work undertaken by local authorities in relation to applications for development consent

Please explain your answer:

No further comments.

Question 102

Do you have any other suggestions relating to the proposals in this section?

Answer: no