Planning application fees: fee policy

Under section 303 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (“the 1990 Act”) the Welsh Ministers may prescribe fees or charges in connection with planning functions. In relation to Local Planning Authority (LPA) planning application fee categories, these are currently detailed in the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications and Site Visits) (Wales) Regulations 2015 No.1522 (as amended) (“the 2015 Fee Regulations”). 

The Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications and Site Visits) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (“the 2025 Fee Regulations”) came into force on 20th October 2025. These Regulations make provision for a more effective and efficient system of updating and publicising fees. This will assist Welsh Government in addressing the existing deficit between the cost of determining applications and the income received for providing this service.

Our approach to both the timing and method for increasing fees was subject to consultation. The consultation documents, Government response to the consultation and the Explanatory Memorandum Regulatory Impact Assessment (EMRIA) to support the 2025 Fee Regulations can be accessed on the following links:

• Promoting a resilient and high performing planning service | GOV.WALES
• The Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications and Site Visits) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2025

The effect of the 2025 Fee Regulations is that the existing established fee categories and structure set out in the 2015 Fee Regulations (as amended) is retained and any monetary values attributed to them is removed. This monetary value is now published, amongst other information, in a Fee Document by the Welsh Ministers. In addition, the 2025 Regulations make changes to the variable fee thresholds for residential development (including change of use). For outline applications, the threshold has been reduced from 2.5 hectares to 1.2 hectares, and for full applications, from 50 units to 25 units.

The 2025 Fee Regulations provide that Welsh Ministers must prepare and publish a Fee Document on a website maintained by, or on behalf of, the Welsh Ministers. The Fee Document must set out:

• The method used to calculate fees
• The amount of fees payable
  • The time period relating to any fee changes
  • The timing and frequency of the publication of the Fee Document
  • The date on which the Fee Document comes into effect
  • Consultation requirements 

The Fee Document must be published no less than four weeks before the day on which the Fee Document takes effect.

Following the initial fee increase, which will come into effect on 1 December 2025, a new Fee Document will take effect on the 1 April each year, starting 1 April 2027. 

There will be no fee increase in 2026, as implementing another adjustment so soon after the 1 December 2025 fee increase could cause uncertainty among applicants. It is therefore considered inappropriate to introduce the next increase on 1 April 2026 given the short interval since the previous change. 

The Welsh Ministers must publish any fee increases on the Welsh Governments’ website at least four weeks before the increases take effect. Whilst the minimum publication requirement is four weeks, Welsh Government will, ordinarily, aim to publish the new Fee Document three months before any increases take effect. This will allow sufficient time for notification and publication arrangements by LPAs. Additionally, a hard copy of the updated Fee Document can be obtained from the Welsh Government upon request.  

All planning fees will be increased by the rate of inflation, as measured by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) from the preceding September. Fees will remain the same and not be decreased if there is negative inflation (deflation). Fees will be rounded to the nearest £1.

Those fee categories placed on the Full Cost Recovery (FCR) Pathway will be increased by a maximum of 10% each year (or £100, whichever is the greater) plus annual inflation, until the FCR target has been reached. Once the FCR has been reached, annual increases will be linked to inflation only. The type of fee increase for each category will be clearly denoted.

The initial fee increase (1 December 2025) is based on an inflationary uplift (plus FCR where applicable) from 2020 (the last fee increase) to June 2024. Fees have not been amended to 2025 inflation levels to ensure consistency with the consultation proposals. 

The next fee increases which will take effect on 1 April 2027 will account for inflation from June 2024 to September 2026. Subsequent increases starting 1 April 2028 will be based on yearly inflation from September to September and will take effect each April. 

In addition to inflation, those categories on the FCR pathway will continue to be adjusted by 10% each year (or £100, whichever is the greater) until target FCR is reached. 

The current approach to updating fees has already been subject to consultation. If Welsh Government were to change the method, the time period relating to any fee changes, and frequency of publication of fee increases, then this will be subject to consultation before any changes are made, and any fee increase came into effect.