[UPDATE: For the subsequent government response to this consultation, please view this post.]

The government has published the following consultation, which runs for 8 weeks from 23/03/2026 until 18/05/2026:

Consultation document:

• March 2026: Fees for planning applications (link) (pdf print version of HTML webpage).

Notes:

• The webpage (link) for the above consultation document includes the following information:
  - "This consultation seeks views on proposals to:
  >>> establish a new national default fee schedule, based on 90% of estimated costs, to bring planning fees to a level closer to cost recovery and act as a baseline from which a new local fee setting model will operate
  >>> introduce new fees and restructure existing fee categories in order to reduce complexity for users
  >>> implement a surcharge on planning fees for statutory consultees, set in the region of 10% of the national default fee
  >>> establish the key principles behind local fee setting, as well as seek views on the potential to implement a cap on locally set fees
  >>> review the future role of discretionary services such as Planning Performance Agreements and pre-application advice in light of proposed increases to default fees and the introduction of the local variation model".