Planning & Regulations
Planning application fees rise on 8 December 2026: what London householders will pay for extensions, outbuildings and prior approval
Draft regulations approved by the House of Lords and debated in a Commons committee in October would raise most householder planning fees in England from 8 December 2026. Applications made before that date pay the current fee. Here is what changes, what stays free and what to plan for next.
Anyone planning a rear extension, loft dormer, garden room or new front wall in London will usually pay a fee to the council when the application goes in. The fee is set nationally, and the amounts are about to change. The government has laid draft regulations that raise most fees for householder work in England from 8 December 2026. They also change how fees will be set from next year.
This guide sets out the current and proposed fees for common householder applications, the transitional rule, the exemptions that remain, and what the change means for budgeting a London project.
Where the change has got to
The new fees are in the draft Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) (Amendment and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026. That draft was re-laid in Parliament on 1 September 2026 and replaced an earlier version from July. According to the UK Parliament procedure record, the House of Lords approved it on 14 October and a Commons Delegated Legislation Committee considered it on 21 October. At the time of writing, legislation.gov.uk still lists the regulations as a draft. They come into force on 8 December 2026 only once they have been formally made, so check the final text before relying on any figure.
The government's response to its consultation on planning fees explains the aim. It wants a national default fee schedule that recovers about 90% of what councils spend on handling applications. That is why the rises are bigger than the usual annual inflation increase.
Current and proposed fees for householder work
The current amounts have applied since 1 April 2026, when fees went up by 3.8% in line with inflation (see the GOV.UK indexation table). The proposed amounts are from the draft regulations.
| Application type | Fee since 1 April 2026 | Proposed from 8 December 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Householder application: alterations or extensions to one house | £548 | £575 |
| Householder application: two or more houses | £1,083 | £1,130 |
| Outbuildings, gates, fences and walls within the garden (where not part of a wider householder application) | £272 | £285 |
| Prior approval for a larger single-storey rear extension (Class A) | £249 | £310 |
| Prior approval for an additional storey on a house (Class AA) | £249 | £310 |
| Removing or varying a condition on a householder permission (section 73) | £89 | £112 |
| Discharging conditions on a householder permission (per request) | £89 | £125 |
| Non-material amendment to a householder permission | £46 | £53 |
Lawful development certificates follow the same schedule. A certificate for a proposed use or development costs half the fee for the equivalent planning application, so it rises along with the householder fee. A certificate for an existing use or development costs the same as the full fee.
The biggest proportional rises
The householder fee itself goes up by about 5%. The changes that follow a permission go up much more. Discharging a condition, for example to approve brick samples or a construction management plan, rises by about 40%. Varying a condition rises by about a quarter. Prior approval for the larger rear extensions and upward extensions explained in our guides to the larger home extension scheme and building upwards rises by about 24%.
The transitional rule: applications made before 8 December
The draft includes a transitional provision. An application made before the regulations come into force pays the fee that applied at the time, and the higher fee applies to applications made on or after 8 December 2026. If your drawings are nearly ready, submitting a complete and valid application before that date may save a modest sum.
Do not rush in an incomplete submission just to beat the deadline. Councils can treat an application as invalid if required plans, forms or the correct fee are missing, and fixing it can cost more time than the saving is worth. The Planning Portal fee guidance and your borough's validation checklist list what is needed.
The draft also restarts annual inflation increases from the new amounts, with the first uplift due on 1 April 2027.
What stays free, and what is not refunded
Exemptions that remain
- Works for a disabled resident. Regulation 4 of the fee regulations means no fee is payable for an application that is solely for works to give a disabled person living in the house better access, safety, health or comfort.
- Listed building consent. The government response confirms that applications for listed building consent remain free. Many listed homes in boroughs such as Kensington and Chelsea and Islington need both planning permission and listed building consent, and only the planning application carries a fee.
- Tree works. Applications for works to trees protected by a tree preservation order also remain free.
No more "free go", but a refund for long delays
The repeat-application "free go" was removed by changes made in 2023, and the transitional period ended in December 2024. A revised application after a refusal or withdrawal now pays the full fee again. Under the planning guarantee, the council must refund the fee for a non-major application, including a householder one, that has not been decided within 16 weeks, unless you have agreed an extension of time.
Other costs to budget for
The statutory fee is not the only charge. Submitting through the Planning Portal carries a service charge of £75.83 plus VAT per application from 1 April 2026. Many London boroughs also charge for pre-application advice. Building regulations are a separate system with separate charges, covered in our guide to building control charges.
As an indicative example, an application submitted online for a single-storey rear extension to one house on or after 8 December would cost £575 in planning fee plus about £91 in Portal service charge, including VAT. That total excludes drawings, surveys and any professional fees. These are small sums next to the cost of the work itself. Our London extension cost guide gives indicative build cost ranges.
Local fee setting is coming next
The December changes are not the end of the reform. The Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 gives councils powers to set some planning fees themselves. The government response says councils would be able to charge up to 30% above the national default where their costs justify it, with a route for exceptional cases that involves the Secretary of State. It says the regulations and guidance for this are intended before the end of the year. In due course, the fee for the same extension could differ between, say, Ealing and Richmond upon Thames.
Fee reform is separate from the changes to who decides householder applications, covered in our guide to the national scheme of delegation. If your project may not need an application at all, start with our permitted development guide.
Next steps
Check whether your project needs planning permission, prior approval or a lawful development certificate. Then confirm the fee on your borough's website or the Planning Portal fee calculator on the day you apply. Once you know what consent you need, you can request quotes from independent local builders in Wandsworth, Barnet, Croydon and other boroughs. Home Builders does not carry out building work: we ask advertisers to provide proof of insurance, and any contract is between you and the builder you choose.
Sources: Draft Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) (Amendment and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026; UK Parliament procedure browser: progress of the draft fee regulations; MHCLG: Fees for planning applications, government response; MHCLG: Planning fees, annual indexation from 1 April 2026; Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) Regulations 2012, SI 2012/2920 (regulations 4, 9A and 14); SI 2023/1197 and explanatory memorandum; Planning Portal: service charge update from 1 April 2026; Planning Portal. Fees are shown as set out in the draft regulations and may change if the final instrument differs. This article is a summary, not legal or planning advice; confirm the fee with your borough's planning service before you apply.
Frequently asked questions
When do the new planning application fees start?
The draft regulations set 8 December 2026 as the start date. They had been approved by the House of Lords and considered by a Commons committee by late October 2026, but must be formally made before they take effect.
How much will a householder planning application cost in London from 8 December 2026?
The national fee for extensions or alterations to a single house is proposed to rise from £548 to £575. Submitting through the Planning Portal adds a service charge of £75.83 plus VAT. Councils may later gain powers to set their own fees within limits.
If I apply before 8 December, do I pay the old fee?
Yes. The draft's transitional provision means applications made before the new regulations come into force pay the fee in force at the time. Make sure the application is complete, because missing documents can delay validation.
Do I pay a fee for listed building consent or for adaptations for a disabled resident?
No. Listed building consent applications remain free, and no fee is payable for an application solely for works to improve access, safety, health or comfort for a disabled person living in the house.
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