Planning Application Fees for Flat Alterations

[Granger]

Is anyone on the forum familiar with Planning Application fees as they relate to flats?
We have a top floor leaseholder who wishes to introduce a roof light and light shaft into his internal bathroom. Plans have been agreed with the freeholders and management company. The proposed window does not affect any other flat or the common area (and is not actually visible from the front of the building).
On submitting the plans to the local authority it has become evident that because flats are involved only a full planning application can be made (as opposed to a 'householder' application). So far so good. Making the application through the online 'Planning Portal' a fee of £150 comes up, but the local authority concerned is insisting on a £295 fee from the applicant.
Researching this on the web I have concluded that the £295 fee only applies to an application covering alterations or extensions to two or more dwellings. I am guessing that the LA is perhaps used to charging £295 for houses being split into flats etc. and is now charging this fee for anything to do with any flat.
Does anyone else have similar experience?
(The £295 fee has been paid and the applicant will try to recover the £145 overcharge once PP is granted).

[Brixtonia]

The charge obviously differs from one authority to another so it is hard to comment. Based on the info provided, your conclusion sounds right but if your LA is anything like mine, negotiating this with the very unmotivated and inexperienced call centre will be a slow and frustrating process and not worth the effort. If you are getting nowhere and they will not escalate your enquiry to a more experienced member of staff I would immediately raise it as a complaint simply because it is often the only way to get an experienced person to deal with it.

[Planner]

The charge obviously differs from one authority to another so it is hard to comment.

Ermm - no it doesnt. At present Planning Application fees are set by Central Government, all planning application fees in the respective Home Nation will therefore be the same in each authority.

£150 is for a householder application where alterations/extensions are proposed to just one dwelling - this includes flats.

£295 is indeed for a full planning application where alterations/extensionsare proposed to two or more dwellings -this includes two or more flats.

If the proposals only effect one dwelling then you should be paying £150. Ask for a refund.

[Brixtonia]

Apologies. My experience is limited to the two boroughs where I develop which is why I offered no comment on whether the charge was correct or not.

Nevertheless, OP says planning authority is 'insisting on a £295 fee' which does suggest this pricing has been challenged already.

My advice to the OP remains the same. Most of the customer facing people in the service call centres do not have appropriate experience and do not pass your enquiries on in a satisfactory manner. In order to avoid going around in circles simply request a refund through a complaint about being overcharged. It is no different to requesting a refund but you log it as a complaint and it will be dealt with by a more senior member of staff within a set time frame (I think it is 10 days in my borough). It will also hopefully mean that the problem that led to the overcharging might be properly investigated and lead to some 're-training'.

[midlandslandlord]

It is not unknown for Local Authorities to get things simply wrong.

(See, for example, 000s of routine unlawful clawbacks of Local Housing Allowance).

ML

[cegpn]

New member: An interesting thread. This month I have just applied for PP to convert an existing 4 bedroom large flat (2 upper floors of a 3 story) into 4 one-bedroomed flats. I was hit for £1005 and thought it excessive. Anyone got an idea how the make up of £1005 might breakdown before I challenge LA.

PN

[jeffrey]

Is it:
a. a Listed Building; or
b. in a Conservation Area; or
c. neither?

[quarterday]

I am sure they will be only too pleased to tell you how they arrived at the figure

[Planner]

£1005 appears spot on. It will either be:

- Full application for x3 new dwellings at £335 each; OR
- Change of use to dwellings at £335 each.

In terms of conservation area or listed buildings - as neither types of application have a charge associated with them, it wont effect the fee.

[midlandslandlord]

£1005 appears spot on. It will either be:

- Full application for x3 new dwellings at £335 each; OR
- Change of use to dwellings at £335 each.



This is correct afaik. Planning fees have gradually become a money-making centre over a couple of decades.

If you apply to build 50 identical houses, you will be charged as if you were building 50 unique designs.

I think that if you wanted to convert your flat into more than 51 dwellings, then the 52nd and onwards would only cost £100 each.

Don't forget that you will have to pay £25 to get confirmation that each condition has been fulfilled (unless you apply for several together) ;-).

ML