Planning application fees to rise in April

Local authority planning fees are to rise from 1 April 2022.

The increases, the first in eight years, follow a consultation in 2019 that sought views on reviewing the planning performance and fee regime, and are set out in the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications) (Scotland) Regulations 2022.

They mean that planning permission for new houses will cost £600 per house for the first 10, with reducing rates for larger developments. Extensions and alterations to a house will incur a £300 fee, and a change of use other than for the creation housing £600 per 100 square metres of floor space, up to 4,000 square metres.

Planning Minister Tom Arthur said the change would help improve the planning application process and the service received by applicants. Local authorities will be able to decide how best to use any additional fee income to help improve locally delivered planning services.

He commented: "The planning system plays a central role in shaping the places where we live, work and access local services – and in delivering a just transition to a net zero economy. Ensuring planning departments are efficient and effectively resourced is vital to realising our ambitions for Scotland and supporting recovery.

"That is why reviewing planning fees and performance is a key part of our planning reform programme. This is a significant change to planning fees, which will provide substantial additional income to authorities and help to move towards fully recovering the cost of dealing with planning applications.

"I expect these increases to lead to improvements in planning performance and we will shortly progress the recruitment of Scotland’s first National Planning Improvement Co-ordinator."