Environment Department - changes to fees

07 December 2016

The Minister for the Environment has agreed fee increases for the department’s services for 2017.
Some department fees and charges won’t change, but planning and building fees will rise from 1 January, 2017, by approximately 2 per cent, in line with inflation.

The income generated from the increases will help offset the costs for running the Planning and Building Appeals System, introduced in 2015. It follows a States decision that the appeals process should become self-funding.
Some of the fees for making a planning or building appeal will also change. From January there will be three categories of appeal charges.

• Category 1 (£100): Appeals against government actions which directly affect an individual’s private property rights.
• Category 2 (£500): Appeals against minor application refusals and third party appeals.
• Category 3 (£1600): Appeal against the refusal of major applications.

The increase in the cost of appealing against a major application reflects the fact that major applications tend to be complex in the issues they raise and more expensive to consider at appeal. The rise is also intended to ensure the appeal cost is proportionate to the financial value of the potential development.

Minister for the Environment, Deputy Steve Luce said “Thanks to the introduction of the new planning appeals system in 2015, people now have access to a low cost and independent appeals system. Any increase in fees is regretted, but the new fees continue to be significantly lower than the previous Royal Court appeal system, where the Court could also award costs against the losing party. The current system avoids those disincentives – people are making use of it and that’s resulted in a five-fold increase in appeals, year on year. I believe it remains a robust and healthy check and balance on planning decisions in this Island.”

Other changes that will come into effect in January include:

• Outline planning permission application fees. Fees for outline planning permission will change to more accurately reflect the costs of providing this service. People applying for outline planning permission will pay 50% of the standard charge up front. The remaining 50% balance will be paid if a full application for detailed planning permission is submitted.
• Vary or remove a condition on a planning permission. A new fee will be introduced of £153 to vary or remove a ‘condition’ attached to a planning permission (excluding time limit condition and any condition granted by Development Order). The fee income will contribute towards the processing of these applications.