Fees are currently set by the Government and have not been increased since 2008. The Government has therefore proposed a one-off adjustment to "up-rate" fees in line with inflation, which amounts to around 15%, said Clark.
The revenue generated through charging planning application fees does not normally cover the costs of deciding applications, said Clarke. The shortfall has to be subsidised by local authorities.
"The proposals I am announcing today will help streamline the process of applying for planning permission, ensure that planning is properly resourced and create greater engagement and accountability in the process," said Clark in a written Ministerial Statement (2-Pages / 72KB PDF) yesterday.
"Providing planning departments with the resources that are required to turn round planning applications efficiently and effectively is important," he said.
The proposed increase in application fees is a "relatively small" component of the costs of any development, but delays by planning departments in the processing of applications can lead to substantial costs for residents and professional developers, said Clark.
Appropriate resources "must be matched" by improved performance, said Clark. So the Government proposes to introduce a "planning guarantee" that it should take no longer than 12 months to determine any planning application, including an appeal. The proposed planning guarantee was originally announced in the Growth Review.
The guarantee would place an equal expectation on local planning authorities and the Planning Inspectorate to deal with all cases in no more than 26 weeks.
"The guarantee is aimed at the minority of decisions that take a significant amount of time beyond the statutory timeframes of 8 and 13 week [for minor and major applications respectively] to determine," said Clark.
Planning applications will also be amended so that applicants must confirm that the information they provide in them "is, to the best of their knowledge, truthful and accurate". This would enable local authorities, communities and Planning Inspectors to rely on the information contained in applications, said Clark.
The Government plans to publish a consultation on the planning guarantee later in the year and aims to introduce new fee regulations which would come into force in the autumn.
