Planning circular 1/2026: planning fees for applications, local reviews and appeals

Categories of fees (Local Reviews & Appeals)

The general provisions for fees and the scale of fees are set out in full in Schedule 1 of the Local Review Fees and Appeal Fees Regulations

C.12 Residential development (category 1)

Local reviews or appeals for the erection of dwellinghouses are charged according to the number of dwellinghouses which are to be created. The rate is:

• £297 per dwellinghouse for each of the first 10 dwellinghouses;
• for dwellinghouses between 11-49 the rate is £222 per dwellinghouse; and
• £124 per dwellinghouse for those 50 and above subject to a maximum of £74,210.

C.13 Householder extension and alterations (categories 2 & 3)

A flat rate fee of £149 is charged for a local review or appeal which relates to an application to enlarge, improve, or alter an existing dwellinghouse, or to carry out works within its curtilage which are ancillary to the enjoyment of the dwellinghouse as such. This fee also applies to walls, fences or other enclosures along the boundary of the curtilage. Where a local review or appeal relates to one or more existing dwellinghouses, the rate is £149 per dwellinghouse subject to a maximum of £298. Any application for planning permission in principle for the erection of buildings under these categories will incur the same fees.

C.14 Non-residential building works (category 4)

Local reviews or appeals relating to buildings (other than dwellinghouses, agricultural buildings or glasshouses and polytunnels) are charged as follows:

• Applications for development creating no new floor space, or not more than 50 sqm of new floor space, are charged a fee of £149.
• Where the gross floorspace exceeds 50 sqm but does not exceed 100sqm the fee is £297.
• Where the gross floorspace exceeds 100 sqm it is £286 plus £297 per 100sqm up to 4000 sqm.
• Where the gross floor space exceeds 4000 sqm the fee is £11,880 plus £149 per 100 sqm up to the maximum of £74,210.
• Where no buildings are to be created the fee is £297 per 0.1ha up to a maximum fee of £74,210.

C.15 Agricultural buildings (category 5)

Where a local review or appeal relates to agricultural buildings, are charged at the rate of £247 for the first 500 sqm and then every £247 for each 100 sqm or part thereof, beyond 500 sqm, subject to maximum of £12,368.

C.16 Glasshouses and polytunnels (category 6)

Glasshouses and polytunnels are defined as a building which has not less than three-quarters of its total external area comprised of glass or other translucent material, is designed for the production of flowers, fruit, vegetables, herb or other horticultural produce, and is used, or is to be used, solely for the purposes of agriculture.

A local review or appeal relating to the erection of glasshouse or polytunnels which are to be used for agricultural purposes are to be charged at £50 for each 100 sqm of ground area to be covered by the development subject to a maximum of £2,474.

C.17 Wind turbines (category 7)

A local review or appeal relating to the erection of wind turbines and the carrying out of other operations in connection with the construction of the generating station, including the construction or installation of any means of access to the generating station, pipes or other conduits, and overhead lines.

• Where the number of turbines does not exceed 3 and their height (ground to hub height) does not exceed 15 metres the fee is £618.
• Where one or more of the turbines has a ground to hub height in excess of 15 metres but not 50 metres the fee is £1,236.
• Where one or more to the turbines has a ground to hub height in excess of 50 metres the fee is £2,472.
• Where the number of turbines exceeds 3, the fee is £247 per 0.1ha of the site area up to a maximum of £74,210.

C.18 Hydro-electric generating stations (category 8)

A local review or appeal relating to the erection of hydroelectric generating stations and the carrying out of other operations in connection with the construction of the generating station, including the construction or installation of any means of access to the generating station, pipes or other conduits, and overhead lines. The fee is £247 for each 0.1ha of the site area subject to a maximum of £12,368.

C.19 Solar electric generating stations (category 9)

A local review or appeal relating to the erection of solar electric generating stations and the carrying out of other operations in connection with the construction of the generating station, including the construction or installation of any means of access to the generating station, pipes or other conduits, and overhead lines. The fee is £247 for each 0.1ha of the site area subject to a maximum of £12,368.

C.20 Exploratory drilling for oil or natural gas (category 10)

A local review or appeal relating to onshore oil or natural gas exploration are charged according to the area of the site at a rate of £495 where the site area does not exceed 0.1ha. Where the site area exceeds 0.1ha the fee is £495 for the first 0.1ha and then £247 per 0.1ha of the site area in excess of 0.1ha up to a maximum of £74,210. For the purposes of calculation of fees for planning applications "exploratory drilling" should be taken to include "appraisal drilling".

C.21 Fish farming (category 11)

A local review or appeal relating to development involving the placing or assembly of equipment in any part of marine waters for the purposes of fish farming are charged a fee based on the surface area of the water and the area of seabed affected. The fee is calculated as £99 for each 0.1ha of the surface area of marine waters to be used in relation to the assembly or placement of any equipment to be used for the purposes of fish farming and £37 for each 0.1 hectare of the seabed to be used in relation to such development up to a maximum of £12,368.

C.22 Shellfish farming (category 12)

A local review or appeal relating to development involving the placing or assembly of equipment in any part of marine waters for the purposes of shellfish farming are charged a fee based on the surface area of the water affected. The fee is calculated as £54 for each 0.1ha of the surface area of marine waters to be used in relation to the assembly or placement of any equipment to be used for the purposes of shellfish farming up to a maximum of £12,368.

C.23 Plant and machinery (category 13)

A local review or appeal relating to the erection, alteration or replacement of plant or machinery are charged according to the area of the site at a rate of £247 per 0.1 hectare or part thereof, for sites under 5ha. For sites over 5ha the fee is £12,350 plus £124 for each 0.1 ha of the site area in excess of 5 ha up to a maximum of £74,210.

C.24 Access, car parks etc. for existing uses (category 14)

A local review or appeal relating to the construction of service roads, other accesses, or car parks serving an existing use on a site are subject to a flat rate fee of £247.

C.25 Winning and working of minerals (category 15)

A local review or appeal relating to the winning and working of minerals (other than peat) are charged according to the area.

• Where the site area does not exceed 0.1ha the fee is £495.
• Where the site area exceeds 0.1ha the fee is £495 for the first 0.1ha and then £247 per 0.1ha of the site area in excess of 0.1ha up to 15ha.
• Where the site area exceeds 15 ha the fee is £37,298 plus £124 per 0.1ha of site area in excess of 15ha up to a maximum of £74,210.

The area will be the area to which the application relates and in the case of underground workings will include all the land under which any of the workings are to take place (development of oil and natural gas reserves is not regarded as "underground working"). The area should include the total area where development is to take place, including areas for landscaping.

C.26 Peat extraction (category 16)

A local review or appeal relating to the winning and working of peat are charged at the rate of £247 for each 0.1ha of the site area, subject to a maximum of £2,968.

C.27 Any other operations not coming within the categories above (category 17)

A local review or appeal relating to operations for any other purpose are charged according to the site area.

• Where the site area does not exceed 0.1ha the fee is £495.
• Where the site area exceeds 0.1ha the fee is £495 for the first 0.1ha and then £247 per 1ha of the site area in excess of 0.1ha up to 15ha.
• Where the site area exceeds 15 ha the fee is £4,200 plus £124 per 0.1ha of site area in excess of 15ha up to a maximum of £74,210.

C.28 Waste disposal and minerals stocking (categories 18 & 19)

A local review or appeal relating to the disposal of waste, whether this involves operations or simply a change in the use of land, and for the stocking of minerals and other material extracted from the ground as part of the process of minerals extraction, are charged according to the area of the site.

• Where the site area does not exceed 0.1ha the fee is £495.
• Where the site area exceeds 0.1ha the fee is £495 for the first 0.1ha and then £247 per 0.1ha of the site area in excess of 0.1ha up to 15ha.
• Where the site area exceeds 15 ha the fee is £37,298 plus £124 per 0.1ha of site area in excess of 15ha up to a maximum of £74,210.

The site area should include any areas for landscaping.

C.29 Residential conversions (category 20)

A local review or appeal relating to the change of use of any building to use as one or more separate dwellinghouses are charged at a rate of:

• £297 per dwellinghouse for each of the first 10 dwelling houses;
• for dwellinghouses between 11-49 the rate is £222 per dwellinghouse; and
• £124 per dwellinghouse for those 50 and above subject to a maximum of £74,210.

C.30 Change of use of buildings (category 21)

A local review or appeal relating to the change of use of a building (except a change of use to use as one or more dwellinghouses) are to be charged based on the floor space on the building in question:

• with buildings with a floorspace which does not exceed 100 square metres the fee is £297;
• where the gross floorspace exceeds 100 sqm, it is £297 plus £297 per 100 square metres up to 4,000 sqm; and
• where the floorspace exceeds 4,000 sqm the fee is £11,880 plus £149 per 100 square metres in excess of 4,000 sqm up to the maximum of £74,210.

C.31 Change of use of land (category 22)

A local review or appeal relating to the change of use of land (expect for a change of use involving categories 18, 19, 21 or a change of use relating to equipment placed in marine waters for the purposes of fish or shellfish farming) are to be charged on the site area involved at a rate of £247 per 0.1 hectare subject to a maximum of £2,474.

C.32 Advertisements

All appeals relating to a decision to refuse consent for the display of advertisements are subject to a flat rate fee of £149. Where the original application relates to a number of individual advertisements to be displayed on a single site, a single fee will be charged for the site as a whole. But when a single application deals with advertisements to be displayed on more than one site, a fee will be payable for each site included in the application.

The only exception is for a local review or appeal relating to display advertisements on parking meters, litter bins, public seating benches or bus shelters within a specified area. Regulation 3(6) of the Appeal Fees Regulations provides that the whole of the specified area is to be regarded as one site for the purpose of calculating the fee.

C.33 Prior approval determinations

Where an appeal is made in relation to a decision to refuse prior approval required in relation to development permitted under Schedule I to the General Permitted Development Order the fee is £86, except in the following cases:

• Paragraph (4A) of Class 18 of Part 6 - Agricultural buildings and operations (Formation or alteration of a private way) – no fee
• Paragraph (4) of Class 18B of Part 6 – Agricultural Buildings and Operations (Conversion of an agricultural building to residential use) - £258
• Paragraph (5) of Class 18C of Part 6 - Agricultural Buildings and Operations (Conversion of an agricultural building to flexible commercial use) - £258
• Paragraph (4) of Class 21A of Part 6A – Fish Farming - £322
• Paragraph (4) of Class 22A of Part 7 – Forestry Buildings and Operations (Conversion of a forestry building to residential use) - £258
• Paragraph (4) of Class 22B of Part 7 – Forestry Buildings and Operations (Conversion of a forestry building to flexible commercial use) - £258
• Paragraph (4) of Class 22 of Part 7 – Forestry Buildings and Operations – no fee
• Sub-paragraph (23) of Class 67 of Part 20 – Development by Electronic Communications Code Operators - £322