From April 2026, planning application fees in England will rise again as part of a new system of annual inflation-linked increases introduced by government regulations. The changes stem from the Town and Country Planning (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2023, which established a mechanism for automatic yearly indexation of planning fees. From April 2025 onwards, fees are adjusted each year in line with the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) from the previous September, subject to a cap of 10%.
From 1 April 2026, planning fees will increase by 3.8%, reflecting the CPI rate for September 2025. This uplift applies broadly across most application types, including householder developments, major residential schemes and prior approval applications. Any, more recent, projects which we have quoted for will have noted this planned increase.
Examples of updated fees
The percentage increase is modest and will result in increases demonstrated by the following examples:
- A typical householder application (e.g. home extensions) rises from about £528 to £548;
- Applications for small residential developments (1–9 dwellings) increase from £588 to £610 per dwelling;
- Other categories, such as change-of-use from £588 to £610.
These increases apply to all valid applications submitted on or after 1 April 2026 and earlier submissions remain subject to previous fee levels. This is then combined with further increases in the Planning Portal Service Charge to £75.83 +VAT per submission).
Why are fees increasing?
The introduction of annual indexation reflects a broader government aim to ensure that local planning authorities recover more of their costs in processing applications. Historically, fees have not kept pace with inflation, contributing to resource pressures within planning departments. The April 2026 changes therefore represent a continuation of reforms begun in 2023–2025, which included substantial one-off increases followed by the move to predictable, inflation-based adjustments each year.
For applicants, the 2026 increase is relatively small compared with earlier rises, but it reinforces a trend of steadily increasing costs. Even modest percentage uplifts can become significant when combined with professional fees and other development costs. For planning authorities, the system provides greater financial stability and predictability, which should in turn support service delivery amid ongoing demand.
The April 2026 changes do not fundamentally alter the structure of planning fees but embed a new approach: regular, CPI-linked increases. While individually modest, these annual adjustments signal a long-term shift toward a more self-funding planning system in England, so is something which pending projects should note from next week.