The current planning system is a major obstacle to getting new homes built, and the fees associated with it are a big part of the problem. These fees can be a significant burden for small developers and individual homeowners who want to build a new house or extend an existing one. It's not uncommon for these fees to run into thousands of pounds, which can be enough to make a project unviable.
The proposal is to abolish planning permission fees for small developments, defined as those with fewer than 10 units. This would make it much easier for small developers and individual homeowners to get started on new projects, which would help to increase the supply of new homes and give people more choice about where they want to live. It would also help to reduce the pressure on larger developers, who often have to navigate a complex and bureaucratic system just to get permission to build.
Discussion (4)
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It’s the endless delays and the sheer uncertainty of the process that kills projects before they even begin. I know a chap who wanted to convert a garage into a granny flat, a perfectly sensible idea, and it took him eighteen months and three different sets of revised drawings just to get a decision. The fee itself was a drop in the ocean compared to that lost time and the stress.